Did you know that there is fairly strong front coming?
Only from about 500 sources if you are an avid Volvo follower, which makes notes like this a bit tricky. First of all, to friends and families of the 11 guys on this boat...we know there is a storm coming and we are 100 percent ready for it. Whew. I said it and I feel a lot better. In fact the mood on the boat is as upbeat as I have seen. Not that we are really looking forward to two days of uncomfortable conditions, but I think we all are in good spirits because we are doing well in the leg and we are as prepared as we ever could be for this little issue that is coming our way. Do the best we can and really, really try not to break the boat to take us out of the leg or worse yet- the race.
And it is a nice time to have seasoned vets on a boat like this who have seen it all before. We have talked through many different scenarios and there wasn't much that we could bring up that someone on the team didn't say- "oh yea, when I was on 'so and so' in the 1994 'such and such' race..." You get my drift.
We are really bummed about our friends on Green Dragon breaking their head-stay. They're good guys, on a good team, that deserve better. Plus...we have the same exact head-stay so we are watching all parts and pieces with interest, but ours is brand new.
Media Man Ricky Deppe is crawling around the boat with his video asking everyone "how they feel" with a storm on its way. Well Ricky, we all feel fine and we are looking forward to 48 hours or so from now when the winds back off and we can get back to full time racing. But for now we will go into a bit of common sense mode and make our way from the Philippines to Taiwan. Two places that again I never thought I would be writing about when I was racing a sail boat.
We have great PUMA friends and supporters in both countries and we want to pass along a big hello and simply ask that next time, order us a bit better weather when we come through.
- Kenny
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Marine Industry : High Modulus announces key senior management changes
Paul Goddard has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of High Modulus, a world leading supplier of composite materials, technology and structural engineering solutions.
Prior to joining High Modulus as Chief Operating Officer in May 2007, Paul was the founder and major shareholder of Aquapro International Ltd, a pioneer in the inflatable tender market. Through the 1990s, Aquapro’s sales rapidly expanded into Australia, Canada, the USA, Europe and the Pacific Islands, and in December 2002, the business was sold to the UK’s Survitec Group, the world’s largest marine safety company. Paul completed a two year management contract with Survitec, which included the relocation of Aquapro manufacturing to China, and spent two years consulting for a Chinese sports goods manufacturer, for whom he established a marine division, before joining High Modulus.
As CEO he will focus on the structure and development of High Modulus International, including a NZ headquarters-based management team, who will provide strategic direction and functional support for each regional operation: High Modulus Europe, High Modulus Australia and High Modulus Asia. Under Paul’s leadership, this new organisational direction will provide a strong foundation for the company’s future growth.
Richard Downs-Honey, former CEO, moves into the role of International Sales Director, with a focus on growing global group sales. Richard joined the company in the late 1970s and has been instrumental in the company’s development and success to date. His engineering expertise, practical experience, and knowledge of the company’s customer base, will ensure that High Modulus continues to provide its customers with the services and products they require in dynamic market conditions.
Richard Downs-Honey and Brian Jones remain directors and co-owners of the company.
Prior to joining High Modulus as Chief Operating Officer in May 2007, Paul was the founder and major shareholder of Aquapro International Ltd, a pioneer in the inflatable tender market. Through the 1990s, Aquapro’s sales rapidly expanded into Australia, Canada, the USA, Europe and the Pacific Islands, and in December 2002, the business was sold to the UK’s Survitec Group, the world’s largest marine safety company. Paul completed a two year management contract with Survitec, which included the relocation of Aquapro manufacturing to China, and spent two years consulting for a Chinese sports goods manufacturer, for whom he established a marine division, before joining High Modulus.
As CEO he will focus on the structure and development of High Modulus International, including a NZ headquarters-based management team, who will provide strategic direction and functional support for each regional operation: High Modulus Europe, High Modulus Australia and High Modulus Asia. Under Paul’s leadership, this new organisational direction will provide a strong foundation for the company’s future growth.
Richard Downs-Honey, former CEO, moves into the role of International Sales Director, with a focus on growing global group sales. Richard joined the company in the late 1970s and has been instrumental in the company’s development and success to date. His engineering expertise, practical experience, and knowledge of the company’s customer base, will ensure that High Modulus continues to provide its customers with the services and products they require in dynamic market conditions.
Richard Downs-Honey and Brian Jones remain directors and co-owners of the company.
Football : Man U INJURIES - GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS
First, the good news... Sir Alex Ferguson says Anderson could be back in action inside a month after injuring his ankle against Derby County.
Fans had feared the worst after the 20-year-old Brazilian midfielder was stretchered from the pitch at the final whistle on Tuesday.
"We sent Anderson for a scan and there’s no break," Sir Alex told us today. "But there was some ligament damage. We think he’ll be out for three weeks."
Now, the bad news... ten players will miss the Tottenham match tomorrow.
"The ones who are out [for the Spurs game] are Rio Ferdinand, Anderson, Nani, Rafael, Patrice Evra, Wayne Rooney, Wes Brown, Jonny Evans, Ji-sung Park and Owen Hargreaves. Nani suffered a groin injury and he’ll be out for a week. Jonny Evans [ankle] will be out for three weeks.
"We still have Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo fit. But we will have to call on some young players. I’ve called in Richard Eckersley and Fabio [da Silva], who could be involved."
Fans had feared the worst after the 20-year-old Brazilian midfielder was stretchered from the pitch at the final whistle on Tuesday.
"We sent Anderson for a scan and there’s no break," Sir Alex told us today. "But there was some ligament damage. We think he’ll be out for three weeks."
Now, the bad news... ten players will miss the Tottenham match tomorrow.
"The ones who are out [for the Spurs game] are Rio Ferdinand, Anderson, Nani, Rafael, Patrice Evra, Wayne Rooney, Wes Brown, Jonny Evans, Ji-sung Park and Owen Hargreaves. Nani suffered a groin injury and he’ll be out for a week. Jonny Evans [ankle] will be out for three weeks.
"We still have Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo fit. But we will have to call on some young players. I’ve called in Richard Eckersley and Fabio [da Silva], who could be involved."
Sailing : Sports Boats Race for the Bundy Blue
After their first two races were cancelled due to strong winds, the Bundaberg Sports Boat ASBA National Championship fleet was eager to get out on the water today. Flat water and blue skies heralded a promising start to day two, helped by a steady 8-10k easterly breeze which held true for most of the afternoon.
With 21 entrants representing every state in Australia, the quality of the Skandia Geelong Week sports boat competition is high. Reigning Bundaberg Sports Boat champion Chris Williams has sold his winning Thompson 7 Team GUE and is “hitching a ride” this year in Geelong steering John Williams’ T 7 Salsa Lou, the renamed former Geelong Week winner Foam Fast.
Airlie Beach regatta winner Graham Sherring’s Quantum Sails is another hot favourite for this years’ title and Heath Townsend from Dunsborough in Western Australia has been lured back once again, this time racing What Tha, a Melges 24 One Design. Another well-travelled Melges OD is Heath Walters’ Mako Melges from Sydney and Perth sports boat stalwart Steve Battley returns toGeelong for the fourth time.
Former Geelong Week sports boat champion Paul Heyes will crew for Greg Scherwinski on the T7 Ronstan/Ray White, a boat which is literally straight out of the moulds and racing for the first time. Another former winner at Geelong and former National sports boat champion is Julian Newton from Adelaide and his Elliot Espx Game Over and local skipper Cam Rae, well-used to racing on Corio Bay with his Bendigo Private crew, could also feature on the podium when the 8-race series is complete.
Interesting boats in the fleet this year include Top Gear from Tasmania. Royce Salter has completed a magnificent restoration of an insurance write-off which is attracting a lot of attention dockside, along with the distinctive red Bohica from South Australia. Most of the sports boats will follow the eye-catching and extremely quick Bethwaite 8 Vivace around the track. Noel Leigh-Smith and his crew are fresh from their success at the recent Sports Boat Sunday regatta in Brisbane and keen to win, the Australian Sports Boat Association National Championship title along with the famous “Bundy Blue” Henri Lloyd jackets in Geelong.
Heath Walters’ Mako-Melges took first place on handicap in Race one, edging out John Lloyd’s T7 Salsa Lou with the Egan 6 Quantum Sails from Queensland third. Fourteen seconds separated fourth placed Bendigo Private from the Egan 6 and out of the placings the battle of the T7’s saw Ronstan/Ray White ahead of Bruce Hollis’ Zip and Steve Battley’s Road Warriors. Two Delphia Sport 24’s Splash 1 and 2 enjoyed a great one design battle with only seconds separating the first from the second.
Race two in a slightly lighter breeze saw John Lloyd and Salsa Lou at the top of the list in a lighter breeze with Heath Walters Mako Melges second. Hindered by some crew concerns in race one, Road Warriors sailed far better later in the afternoon to secure third.
A two way tie at the top of the series shows Salsa Lou and Mako-Melges at three points apiece with What Tha snapping at their heels. Three Thompsons locked together ten points away from the leaders will set the scene for another great day of Sports Boat action at Geelong tomorrow.
Full results can be found at www.geelongweek.com
With 21 entrants representing every state in Australia, the quality of the Skandia Geelong Week sports boat competition is high. Reigning Bundaberg Sports Boat champion Chris Williams has sold his winning Thompson 7 Team GUE and is “hitching a ride” this year in Geelong steering John Williams’ T 7 Salsa Lou, the renamed former Geelong Week winner Foam Fast.
Airlie Beach regatta winner Graham Sherring’s Quantum Sails is another hot favourite for this years’ title and Heath Townsend from Dunsborough in Western Australia has been lured back once again, this time racing What Tha, a Melges 24 One Design. Another well-travelled Melges OD is Heath Walters’ Mako Melges from Sydney and Perth sports boat stalwart Steve Battley returns toGeelong for the fourth time.
Former Geelong Week sports boat champion Paul Heyes will crew for Greg Scherwinski on the T7 Ronstan/Ray White, a boat which is literally straight out of the moulds and racing for the first time. Another former winner at Geelong and former National sports boat champion is Julian Newton from Adelaide and his Elliot Espx Game Over and local skipper Cam Rae, well-used to racing on Corio Bay with his Bendigo Private crew, could also feature on the podium when the 8-race series is complete.
Interesting boats in the fleet this year include Top Gear from Tasmania. Royce Salter has completed a magnificent restoration of an insurance write-off which is attracting a lot of attention dockside, along with the distinctive red Bohica from South Australia. Most of the sports boats will follow the eye-catching and extremely quick Bethwaite 8 Vivace around the track. Noel Leigh-Smith and his crew are fresh from their success at the recent Sports Boat Sunday regatta in Brisbane and keen to win, the Australian Sports Boat Association National Championship title along with the famous “Bundy Blue” Henri Lloyd jackets in Geelong.
Heath Walters’ Mako-Melges took first place on handicap in Race one, edging out John Lloyd’s T7 Salsa Lou with the Egan 6 Quantum Sails from Queensland third. Fourteen seconds separated fourth placed Bendigo Private from the Egan 6 and out of the placings the battle of the T7’s saw Ronstan/Ray White ahead of Bruce Hollis’ Zip and Steve Battley’s Road Warriors. Two Delphia Sport 24’s Splash 1 and 2 enjoyed a great one design battle with only seconds separating the first from the second.
Race two in a slightly lighter breeze saw John Lloyd and Salsa Lou at the top of the list in a lighter breeze with Heath Walters Mako Melges second. Hindered by some crew concerns in race one, Road Warriors sailed far better later in the afternoon to secure third.
A two way tie at the top of the series shows Salsa Lou and Mako-Melges at three points apiece with What Tha snapping at their heels. Three Thompsons locked together ten points away from the leaders will set the scene for another great day of Sports Boat action at Geelong tomorrow.
Full results can be found at www.geelongweek.com
A1GP : Switzerland Dominate Friday Practice in New Zealand
Round four of the 2008/09 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport season got underway at New Zealand’s Taupo Motorsport Park today with reigning champion A1 Team Switzerland setting the early pace. Alexandre Imperatori started the day as the quickest rookie, while main driver Neel Jani ended the day quickest overall.
Swiss rookie Imperatori set the pace this morning with a lap of 1 minute 18.091 seconds, helped in part to being able to run a new set of tyres.
Teams use two sets of tyres carried over from the previous A1GP race in the rookie session, however, with Switzerland’s first lap exit from Sepang’s Feature, the team had a new set of Michelins available to him this morning, which he used to good effect.
“This was certainly a good start to the weekend for the team and I hope it continues this way,” said Imperatori. “It is a very technical circuit and certainly very easy to make mistakes. There are lots of corners where you can make mistakes, but my car was fantastic and the new tyres helped as well.”
France’s Nicolas Prost was second quickest, 0.186 seconds adrift of Switzerland, with Lebanon’s Daniel Morad third quickest, particularly impressive thanks to the fact his engineers had worked through the night to replace the engine on his car.
Local favourite A1 Team New Zealand’s Chris van der Drift had his first taste of the Taupo circuit, finishing fourth quickest in the rookie session.
There were numerous spins as the rookie drivers got to grips with the tight and dusty track, with incidents from Malaysia’s Aaron Lim, Ireland’s Niall Quinn, India’s Parthiva Sureshwaren, Portugal’s Antonio Felix da Costa and Monaco’s Hubertus Bahlsen.
In the afternoon practice it was Switzerland once again at the top, this time with Neel Jani behind the wheel to record a lap time of 1m 15.971s.
“It was definitely a good start to the weekend with Alex being quickest this morning and then me as well this afternoon,” said Jani. “I did have a gearbox problem after that so could only do 14 laps, which was about 25-minutes of the session so we lost at least half an hour. This was not the best for us but what we did was still enough to keep us on top and we are really happy about that.”
This was despite Jani being rushed into hospital last week with suspected meningitis, which ruined his training regime and left him feeling drained. He arrived out in Taupo several days later than normal after getting the all-clear to race.
“I do have more colour today,” Jani continued, “so it looks as thought the warm weather is helping me as we don’t have minus degrees like at home. I am feeling better every day and had no issues with driving today so I am very positive.”
In another action-packed session, several drivers had incidents in the hot and dusty conditions including Mexico‘s Salvador Duran, Great Britain’s Dan Clarke, Netherland’s Robert Doornbos, China’s Congfu Cheng, New Zealand’s Chris van der Drift, Australia’s John Martin, Malaysia’s Fairuz Fauzy, India’s Narain Karthikeyan and South Africa’s Adrian Zaugg.
Daniel Morad ended the day second quickest with a 1m 16.106s, after spending the first half of the afternoon session at the top of the timesheets. In the final minutes Australia’s John Martin jumped up to third with New Zealand being pushed down to sixth overall.
Jani also confirmed the local hype that this year’s race is set to be the quickest ever in New Zealand saying: “The biggest difference between the old cars and the new ones is rear stability. With the old one you were fighting and sliding more and now you can concentrate on taking extra speed into the corner. I think we will be a lot quicker here this year than last year.”
Chris van der Drift, who has only ever competed on home soil once before, said: “It was a good start for me as it has been a couple of months since I have been in the car. I had to get back in the groove and blow the cobwebs out. We are certainly going in the right direction. I did spin going into turn 12, but I was just finding my limits. The track is quite dirty off line, but it will get much quicker over the weekend as more cars go round.
“This is actually only my second official race here in New Zealand so it is good to be here especially in the A1GP races. I have lots of family here supporting me so that is an extra bonus.”
In a change for Saturday, Power Boost is off the menu for qualifying in Taupo after being trialed in Sepang. Some teams loved it and some teams hated it. A1GP has decided after representation from various quarters to see what this weekend’s grids look like without it. The series’ organisers will review the situation before A1GP Gauteng, South Africa.
Swiss rookie Imperatori set the pace this morning with a lap of 1 minute 18.091 seconds, helped in part to being able to run a new set of tyres.
Teams use two sets of tyres carried over from the previous A1GP race in the rookie session, however, with Switzerland’s first lap exit from Sepang’s Feature, the team had a new set of Michelins available to him this morning, which he used to good effect.
“This was certainly a good start to the weekend for the team and I hope it continues this way,” said Imperatori. “It is a very technical circuit and certainly very easy to make mistakes. There are lots of corners where you can make mistakes, but my car was fantastic and the new tyres helped as well.”
France’s Nicolas Prost was second quickest, 0.186 seconds adrift of Switzerland, with Lebanon’s Daniel Morad third quickest, particularly impressive thanks to the fact his engineers had worked through the night to replace the engine on his car.
Local favourite A1 Team New Zealand’s Chris van der Drift had his first taste of the Taupo circuit, finishing fourth quickest in the rookie session.
There were numerous spins as the rookie drivers got to grips with the tight and dusty track, with incidents from Malaysia’s Aaron Lim, Ireland’s Niall Quinn, India’s Parthiva Sureshwaren, Portugal’s Antonio Felix da Costa and Monaco’s Hubertus Bahlsen.
In the afternoon practice it was Switzerland once again at the top, this time with Neel Jani behind the wheel to record a lap time of 1m 15.971s.
“It was definitely a good start to the weekend with Alex being quickest this morning and then me as well this afternoon,” said Jani. “I did have a gearbox problem after that so could only do 14 laps, which was about 25-minutes of the session so we lost at least half an hour. This was not the best for us but what we did was still enough to keep us on top and we are really happy about that.”
This was despite Jani being rushed into hospital last week with suspected meningitis, which ruined his training regime and left him feeling drained. He arrived out in Taupo several days later than normal after getting the all-clear to race.
“I do have more colour today,” Jani continued, “so it looks as thought the warm weather is helping me as we don’t have minus degrees like at home. I am feeling better every day and had no issues with driving today so I am very positive.”
In another action-packed session, several drivers had incidents in the hot and dusty conditions including Mexico‘s Salvador Duran, Great Britain’s Dan Clarke, Netherland’s Robert Doornbos, China’s Congfu Cheng, New Zealand’s Chris van der Drift, Australia’s John Martin, Malaysia’s Fairuz Fauzy, India’s Narain Karthikeyan and South Africa’s Adrian Zaugg.
Daniel Morad ended the day second quickest with a 1m 16.106s, after spending the first half of the afternoon session at the top of the timesheets. In the final minutes Australia’s John Martin jumped up to third with New Zealand being pushed down to sixth overall.
Jani also confirmed the local hype that this year’s race is set to be the quickest ever in New Zealand saying: “The biggest difference between the old cars and the new ones is rear stability. With the old one you were fighting and sliding more and now you can concentrate on taking extra speed into the corner. I think we will be a lot quicker here this year than last year.”
Chris van der Drift, who has only ever competed on home soil once before, said: “It was a good start for me as it has been a couple of months since I have been in the car. I had to get back in the groove and blow the cobwebs out. We are certainly going in the right direction. I did spin going into turn 12, but I was just finding my limits. The track is quite dirty off line, but it will get much quicker over the weekend as more cars go round.
“This is actually only my second official race here in New Zealand so it is good to be here especially in the A1GP races. I have lots of family here supporting me so that is an extra bonus.”
In a change for Saturday, Power Boost is off the menu for qualifying in Taupo after being trialed in Sepang. Some teams loved it and some teams hated it. A1GP has decided after representation from various quarters to see what this weekend’s grids look like without it. The series’ organisers will review the situation before A1GP Gauteng, South Africa.
Sailing : Day 75 onboard Roxy in the Vendée Globe
Sam Davies’ daily log - “When you wish upon a star...”
I'm writing this as Roxy slips along under a magnificent starry sky... It makes a nice change to the clouds and rain pelting down on the deck!
I have been catching up on lost sleep today, having had virtually none in the last 48 hours! It has been bliss, and much needed. I was definitely on the verge of being tired, emotional, and irrational yesterday morning, which for me is very unusual and a warning sign that sleep is necessary! Luckily the conditions allowed me several hours of great sleep!
During the middle of last night, I had unenviable job of stacking all my gear from leeward to windward (low side to high side), as the wind built a little and Roxy needed the weight in the right place. Normally stacking is always done before the tack or gybe so I can use gravity to help, but in this situation there is no escaping a tough session of weight training!
The positive side is that after the stacking, I get to go on deck to cool down. Admittedly, I would love that the decks were awash with spray, as that would mean we were going fast, but as that is not the case I can make the most of a bit of peaceful star-gazing. I am starting to realise that there are less and less days left in this race and I want to make the most of every minute and every view that I have left. I can’t get enough of it! In the early part of the evening the moon wasn’t out, and as there were no lights, the view was magnificent! There is something quite magical about being alone under such a sky.
Now I am going to get more sleep, until the wind is strong enough to change from Code 0 to Solent.....
S x
At 1100 UK time, Sam Davies aboard Roxy was in 5th position, 2,076 miles from race leader Michel Desjoyeaux aboard Foncia
I'm writing this as Roxy slips along under a magnificent starry sky... It makes a nice change to the clouds and rain pelting down on the deck!
I have been catching up on lost sleep today, having had virtually none in the last 48 hours! It has been bliss, and much needed. I was definitely on the verge of being tired, emotional, and irrational yesterday morning, which for me is very unusual and a warning sign that sleep is necessary! Luckily the conditions allowed me several hours of great sleep!
During the middle of last night, I had unenviable job of stacking all my gear from leeward to windward (low side to high side), as the wind built a little and Roxy needed the weight in the right place. Normally stacking is always done before the tack or gybe so I can use gravity to help, but in this situation there is no escaping a tough session of weight training!
The positive side is that after the stacking, I get to go on deck to cool down. Admittedly, I would love that the decks were awash with spray, as that would mean we were going fast, but as that is not the case I can make the most of a bit of peaceful star-gazing. I am starting to realise that there are less and less days left in this race and I want to make the most of every minute and every view that I have left. I can’t get enough of it! In the early part of the evening the moon wasn’t out, and as there were no lights, the view was magnificent! There is something quite magical about being alone under such a sky.
Now I am going to get more sleep, until the wind is strong enough to change from Code 0 to Solent.....
S x
At 1100 UK time, Sam Davies aboard Roxy was in 5th position, 2,076 miles from race leader Michel Desjoyeaux aboard Foncia
Regattas : MAJOR CHANGES FOR THE SUPERYACHT CUP PALMA 2009
A new location in the heart of Palma, introduction of the ‘Bucket Rating’ system, better dock facilities and a change to the prize-giving format are just some of the improvements proposed for this years' Superyacht Cup in Palma, Mallorca from 24-27 June.
Following support from the local Government and Port Authorities, the Superyacht Cup has been granted permission to use the centrally located Muelle Viejo dock for the 4-day event. The yachts will be moored adjacent to the historic ‘La Lonja’ area of the City, directly opposite the spectacular Cathedral and the glamorous shopping streets of the Borne and Jaime III as well as excellent restaurants and hotels. The Muelle Viejo is a 10 minute drive from the airport.
The SYC dock area will accommodate around 22 yachts (depending on beam) and a shaded bar and entertainment area will create an informal atmosphere for the yacht owners, sponsors, guests and crew to relax and enjoy the surroundings each afternoon after the racing. The opening cocktail party and final prize-giving evening will be held in nearby historic buildings with views of the harbour, yachts and City of Palma.
Another popular change for the racing format will be the adoption of the 'Bucket Rating' system. The system was used very successfully at the recent Superyacht Cup Antigua and heralded a major step forward, creating the closest finishes in 14 years of Superyacht Cup racing. Developed by Jim Teeters and used at the St Barth's and Newport Bucket regattas for the past few years, the system is constantly being improved and developed to allow for the many factors influencing accurate ratings.
There will, subject to sufficient demand, also be an IRC class. The two classes will offer owners the choice of two of the most popular and successful rating systems for superyachts and produce the fairest and most exciting racing for everyone. Both classes will be able to benefit from more technical race courses, which can be set according to weather conditions.
The Superyacht Cup is pleased to welcome the return of its sponsors including (to date) Main Partners Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, Gold level sponsors Camper and Nicholson’s International and Slam, as well Official level sponsors Astilleros de Mallorca, The Rolling Stock Group, Holland Jachtbouw, North Sails, Ship Equip, Reckmann, Dohle, Atollvic, Pantaenius, Pendennis and Claasen Jachtbouw.
For the list of provisional entries, entry forms and the notice of race please visit our website: www.thesuperyachtcup.com
Following support from the local Government and Port Authorities, the Superyacht Cup has been granted permission to use the centrally located Muelle Viejo dock for the 4-day event. The yachts will be moored adjacent to the historic ‘La Lonja’ area of the City, directly opposite the spectacular Cathedral and the glamorous shopping streets of the Borne and Jaime III as well as excellent restaurants and hotels. The Muelle Viejo is a 10 minute drive from the airport.
The SYC dock area will accommodate around 22 yachts (depending on beam) and a shaded bar and entertainment area will create an informal atmosphere for the yacht owners, sponsors, guests and crew to relax and enjoy the surroundings each afternoon after the racing. The opening cocktail party and final prize-giving evening will be held in nearby historic buildings with views of the harbour, yachts and City of Palma.
Another popular change for the racing format will be the adoption of the 'Bucket Rating' system. The system was used very successfully at the recent Superyacht Cup Antigua and heralded a major step forward, creating the closest finishes in 14 years of Superyacht Cup racing. Developed by Jim Teeters and used at the St Barth's and Newport Bucket regattas for the past few years, the system is constantly being improved and developed to allow for the many factors influencing accurate ratings.
There will, subject to sufficient demand, also be an IRC class. The two classes will offer owners the choice of two of the most popular and successful rating systems for superyachts and produce the fairest and most exciting racing for everyone. Both classes will be able to benefit from more technical race courses, which can be set according to weather conditions.
The Superyacht Cup is pleased to welcome the return of its sponsors including (to date) Main Partners Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, Gold level sponsors Camper and Nicholson’s International and Slam, as well Official level sponsors Astilleros de Mallorca, The Rolling Stock Group, Holland Jachtbouw, North Sails, Ship Equip, Reckmann, Dohle, Atollvic, Pantaenius, Pendennis and Claasen Jachtbouw.
For the list of provisional entries, entry forms and the notice of race please visit our website: www.thesuperyachtcup.com
Sailing : TELEFÓNICA BLUE LEG FOUR DAY 6 QFB: received 23.01.09 1426 GMT
Hi there,
A straightforward day today. It started with us sailing upwind (much the same as yesterday in fact). The breeze then started to build, then it got dark and then it got windy. We are now crashing upwind in 25-30 knots of breeze. The boat is launching off waves and lurching around as it powers upwind, making it rather difficult to type! If you could see how long it has taken me to write this much and then correct all the mistakes you would see what I am getting at... It is a bit like trying to type on your computer whilst in a 4x4 driving off road!
From here on in, the next 24 hours are going to be about good seamanship as much as good tactics as the wind builds more and more. It is going to be all- important to keep our boat in one piece. We have already had a little bit of drama when a lashing on the jib halyard broke. This meant Daryl Wislang/NZL had to go up the rig to retrieve the halyard, which proved to be no mean feat in the building seaway. Our problems though were swiftly resolved and we were back underway with minimal losses to our rivals. It proved a good reminder, though, of how easily things can break and that we need to look after our boat over the next couple of days.
I think I will leave it that today, now time for some sleep!
Cheers,
Simon Fisher - navigator
A straightforward day today. It started with us sailing upwind (much the same as yesterday in fact). The breeze then started to build, then it got dark and then it got windy. We are now crashing upwind in 25-30 knots of breeze. The boat is launching off waves and lurching around as it powers upwind, making it rather difficult to type! If you could see how long it has taken me to write this much and then correct all the mistakes you would see what I am getting at... It is a bit like trying to type on your computer whilst in a 4x4 driving off road!
From here on in, the next 24 hours are going to be about good seamanship as much as good tactics as the wind builds more and more. It is going to be all- important to keep our boat in one piece. We have already had a little bit of drama when a lashing on the jib halyard broke. This meant Daryl Wislang/NZL had to go up the rig to retrieve the halyard, which proved to be no mean feat in the building seaway. Our problems though were swiftly resolved and we were back underway with minimal losses to our rivals. It proved a good reminder, though, of how easily things can break and that we need to look after our boat over the next couple of days.
I think I will leave it that today, now time for some sleep!
Cheers,
Simon Fisher - navigator
Sailing : ERICSSON 3 LEG FOUR DAY 6 QFB: received 23.01.09 1312 GMT
Frustration and nail torture
It has been some frustration onboard today. We have lost a lot of miles from our decision to go outside the ‘dangerous ground area’ and we are struggling to get back.
At one stage today, we even felt we were really slow and we were ripping our hair out, trimming and trimming to try to figure out what we could do better. It was like a flashback from the start when Puma, Telefónica and Ericsson 4 easily slipped away from us just by better boatspeed.
“When you are sailing the boat like you usually do and the performance numbers are good, but still you feel slow, you get really frustrated, Magnus Olsson says and continues: “You start to try new things, which can be both bad and good.”
We felt a bit better when we spotted Ericsson 4 and could compare our speed with them, now we at least now that we are as fast as they are.
Since the start of this race, we have had quite a lot of injuries onboard. The latest one happened yesterday. Magnus Olsson managed to get his thumb stuck in the runner when he was trying to adjust the lines, at the same time as it was released. He did not scream but, with a very thin voice, he asked someone to grind the runner back on again so he could get his finger out.
He was quite lucky to get away with some loss of blood, a broken nail and some swelling. He could just as well have lost the top of the finger.
‘Doctor Mason’ (Richard Mason/NZL) did some analyzing of the injury straight away and, after some consultation with our team doctor over the phone and after sending him some pictures of it, they decided that the nail had to be removed.
Magnus was trying to get away but ‘Dr Mason’ forced him down in a bunk to pull it out. Martin Krite was nursing and supported by injecting painkiller into Magnus’ thumb, a quite tricky manoeuvre in the wavy conditions. But everything went smoothly and after Mason sacrificed the nail to King Neptune, we are now hoping for some luck to bring us up to the top squad again.
Gustav Morin - MCM
It has been some frustration onboard today. We have lost a lot of miles from our decision to go outside the ‘dangerous ground area’ and we are struggling to get back.
At one stage today, we even felt we were really slow and we were ripping our hair out, trimming and trimming to try to figure out what we could do better. It was like a flashback from the start when Puma, Telefónica and Ericsson 4 easily slipped away from us just by better boatspeed.
“When you are sailing the boat like you usually do and the performance numbers are good, but still you feel slow, you get really frustrated, Magnus Olsson says and continues: “You start to try new things, which can be both bad and good.”
We felt a bit better when we spotted Ericsson 4 and could compare our speed with them, now we at least now that we are as fast as they are.
Since the start of this race, we have had quite a lot of injuries onboard. The latest one happened yesterday. Magnus Olsson managed to get his thumb stuck in the runner when he was trying to adjust the lines, at the same time as it was released. He did not scream but, with a very thin voice, he asked someone to grind the runner back on again so he could get his finger out.
He was quite lucky to get away with some loss of blood, a broken nail and some swelling. He could just as well have lost the top of the finger.
‘Doctor Mason’ (Richard Mason/NZL) did some analyzing of the injury straight away and, after some consultation with our team doctor over the phone and after sending him some pictures of it, they decided that the nail had to be removed.
Magnus was trying to get away but ‘Dr Mason’ forced him down in a bunk to pull it out. Martin Krite was nursing and supported by injecting painkiller into Magnus’ thumb, a quite tricky manoeuvre in the wavy conditions. But everything went smoothly and after Mason sacrificed the nail to King Neptune, we are now hoping for some luck to bring us up to the top squad again.
Gustav Morin - MCM
Sailing : DELTA LLOYD LEG FOUR DAY 6 QFB: received 23.01.09 1151 GMT
Just five hours after Green Dragon broke her forestay; our forestay cover was damaged during a headsail peel. The crew was able to cut loose part of the cover and we had to drop the foresail to do that. This cost us valuable time in this part of the leg.
Around noon we passed the auxiliary waypoint ‘South Rock’, around 185 miles west of Manila (Philippines) and now we are heading for the Philippine coast to do another tack. Winds have picked up some strength and we’re now in some 20 knots NNE’ly breeze for the next day or so.
At the mark, we had worked our position up to the fourth place. Not too bad for the moment. From there on, the waves started growing. We are aiming for the lower waves near the shore. Being aware of what is to come, we do not want to waste too much energy here.
Early in the evening, we were already banging against two to three metre waves and had to ease the pressure a bit by changing to the J4 and one reef in the main. As a relative rooky, I have deep respect for the guys on deck who fix this.
Good night from a bouncing DLYD.
Frits Koek - navigator
Around noon we passed the auxiliary waypoint ‘South Rock’, around 185 miles west of Manila (Philippines) and now we are heading for the Philippine coast to do another tack. Winds have picked up some strength and we’re now in some 20 knots NNE’ly breeze for the next day or so.
At the mark, we had worked our position up to the fourth place. Not too bad for the moment. From there on, the waves started growing. We are aiming for the lower waves near the shore. Being aware of what is to come, we do not want to waste too much energy here.
Early in the evening, we were already banging against two to three metre waves and had to ease the pressure a bit by changing to the J4 and one reef in the main. As a relative rooky, I have deep respect for the guys on deck who fix this.
Good night from a bouncing DLYD.
Frits Koek - navigator
Sailing : PUMA LEG FOUR DAY 6 QFB: received 23.01.09 0839 GMT
Did you know that there is fairly strong front coming? Only from about 500 sources if you are an avid Volvo Race follower. Which makes notes like this a bit tricky.
First of all, to friends and families of the 11 guys on this boat: we know there is a storm coming and we are 100% ready for it. Whew. I said it and I feel a lot better. In fact, the mood on the boat is as upbeat as I have seen. Not that we are really looking forward to two days of discomfort, but I think we all are in good spirits because we are doing well in the leg and we are as prepared as we ever could be for this little issue that is coming our way. Do the best we can and really, really try not to break the boat to take us out of the leg or, worse still, the race.
And it is a nice time to have seasoned veterans on a boat like this, who have seen it all before. We have talked through many different scenarios and there wasn't much that we could bring up that someone on the team didn't say – ‘oh yeah, when I was on 'so and so' in the 1994 'such and such' race...’ You get my drift.
We are really sorry about our friends on Green Dragon breaking their headstay. Good guys on a good team that deserves better. Plus, we have the exact same headstay, so we are watching all parts and pieces with interest. Ours is brand new and we are quite comfortable with it at this point.
Media man Ricky Deppe is crawling around the boat with his video asking everyone ‘how they feel’ with a storm on its way. Well Ricky, we all feel fine and we are looking forward to 48 hours or so from now when the winds back off and we can get back to full time racing. But for now, we will go into a bit of common sense mode and make our way from the Philippines to Taiwan. Two places that again I never thought I would be writing about when I was racing a sailboat. We have great PUMA friends and supporters in both countries and we want to pass along a big hello and simply ask that next time, order us a bit better weather when we come through.
Kenny Read - skipper
First of all, to friends and families of the 11 guys on this boat: we know there is a storm coming and we are 100% ready for it. Whew. I said it and I feel a lot better. In fact, the mood on the boat is as upbeat as I have seen. Not that we are really looking forward to two days of discomfort, but I think we all are in good spirits because we are doing well in the leg and we are as prepared as we ever could be for this little issue that is coming our way. Do the best we can and really, really try not to break the boat to take us out of the leg or, worse still, the race.
And it is a nice time to have seasoned veterans on a boat like this, who have seen it all before. We have talked through many different scenarios and there wasn't much that we could bring up that someone on the team didn't say – ‘oh yeah, when I was on 'so and so' in the 1994 'such and such' race...’ You get my drift.
We are really sorry about our friends on Green Dragon breaking their headstay. Good guys on a good team that deserves better. Plus, we have the exact same headstay, so we are watching all parts and pieces with interest. Ours is brand new and we are quite comfortable with it at this point.
Media man Ricky Deppe is crawling around the boat with his video asking everyone ‘how they feel’ with a storm on its way. Well Ricky, we all feel fine and we are looking forward to 48 hours or so from now when the winds back off and we can get back to full time racing. But for now, we will go into a bit of common sense mode and make our way from the Philippines to Taiwan. Two places that again I never thought I would be writing about when I was racing a sailboat. We have great PUMA friends and supporters in both countries and we want to pass along a big hello and simply ask that next time, order us a bit better weather when we come through.
Kenny Read - skipper
Sailing : GREEN DRAGON LEG FOUR DAY 6 QFB: received 23.01.09 0338 GMT
As we start day six on our 2500-mile slog to Qingdao, I have very mixed emotions.
On the one hand, I am gutted that all our good work of the last few days has been undone by the breakage of our headstay and we are slowly slipping back from the fourth place we comfortably held.
On the other hand, I am relieved to still have our mast intact and to still be racing, albeit slightly wounded. When the headstay breaks, the only thing stopping the mast from falling down is the strength of the headsail cloth until the crew can secure a halyard forward to the bow. The crew's quick reactions in unloading the sails and securing a safety halyard saved us from this potential eventuality. For now, we should be grateful we are not heading to Manila under engine.
Back to the race and Delta Lloyd has slipped past us and right now we can clearly see Ericsson 4, who would have crossed behind us a few hours ago but instead chose to tack to leeward. Maybe they couldn't bring themselves to sail behind us! In two hours since, they have pulled 15 degrees of bearing over us so soon they will be able to tack and cross us.
We are sailing along OK, but our only viable headsail is now the code 4, which sets on an innerstay. In the medium winds we have had for the last 24 hours this sail is too small. We have managed to make a temporary headstay to secure the mast out of a spare runner cable that we carry onboard but this is not strong enough to fly a headsail from. The good news is that the wind will soon be building to over 20 knots and then the code 4 will come into its range and we should be more competitive.
The result of this leg could still depend on how everybody fares in the strong winds forecast. As always, these do not look as bad as previously thought but still I fully expect up to 40 knots on the nose and 4-5 metre seas. That will be enough to test each and every boat out here.
One thing the Green Dragon crew has proven, over and over again, is that we never give up and we have not given up on a good result in this leg yet. Not only do we have a real test of heavy weather seamanship ahead, but we also have some large tactical options including a major decision about which side of Taiwan to sail. This could be a real make or break decision for every skipper and navigator and one Ian Moore and I have been mulling over all night.
For now we are trying to eat as much as we can, preparing all our equipment and 'battening down the hatches' for a bruising two days. Just existing on a Volvo 70 upwind in gale or even storm force winds will be hard enough.
Ian Walker - skipper
On the one hand, I am gutted that all our good work of the last few days has been undone by the breakage of our headstay and we are slowly slipping back from the fourth place we comfortably held.
On the other hand, I am relieved to still have our mast intact and to still be racing, albeit slightly wounded. When the headstay breaks, the only thing stopping the mast from falling down is the strength of the headsail cloth until the crew can secure a halyard forward to the bow. The crew's quick reactions in unloading the sails and securing a safety halyard saved us from this potential eventuality. For now, we should be grateful we are not heading to Manila under engine.
Back to the race and Delta Lloyd has slipped past us and right now we can clearly see Ericsson 4, who would have crossed behind us a few hours ago but instead chose to tack to leeward. Maybe they couldn't bring themselves to sail behind us! In two hours since, they have pulled 15 degrees of bearing over us so soon they will be able to tack and cross us.
We are sailing along OK, but our only viable headsail is now the code 4, which sets on an innerstay. In the medium winds we have had for the last 24 hours this sail is too small. We have managed to make a temporary headstay to secure the mast out of a spare runner cable that we carry onboard but this is not strong enough to fly a headsail from. The good news is that the wind will soon be building to over 20 knots and then the code 4 will come into its range and we should be more competitive.
The result of this leg could still depend on how everybody fares in the strong winds forecast. As always, these do not look as bad as previously thought but still I fully expect up to 40 knots on the nose and 4-5 metre seas. That will be enough to test each and every boat out here.
One thing the Green Dragon crew has proven, over and over again, is that we never give up and we have not given up on a good result in this leg yet. Not only do we have a real test of heavy weather seamanship ahead, but we also have some large tactical options including a major decision about which side of Taiwan to sail. This could be a real make or break decision for every skipper and navigator and one Ian Moore and I have been mulling over all night.
For now we are trying to eat as much as we can, preparing all our equipment and 'battening down the hatches' for a bruising two days. Just existing on a Volvo 70 upwind in gale or even storm force winds will be hard enough.
Ian Walker - skipper
Cricket: Otago A v Central Districts A
Otago won the toss in their match against CD and batted first. CD’s opening bowler Dominic Rayner bowled impressively taking 6/46 from nine overs. A fifth wicket partnership of 151 between Mark Craig and Sam Wells boosted Otago from 83/4 to 234/5 but the tail folded quickly and they were all out for 260 on the last ball of the innings.
In reply CD was in trouble at 21/3 and never recovered. Opening bowler Mat Harvie took 3/18 off seven overs and CD’s best partnership was 76 for the fifth wicket between James De Terte and David Meiring. After this pair were dismissed only James Kuru, with 18 not out, offered any resistance and CD was all out for 164 in 41.5 overs.
• Otago 260 (Sam Wells 87, Mark Craig 70, Dominic Rayner 6/46) beat Central Districts 164 (James de Terte 51, Mat Harvie 3/18, Mark Craig 3/48) by 96 runs
Tomorrow [Saturday] is a rest day. The competition resumes on Sunday with Canterbury playing Otago, Auckland against Wellington, and Northern Districts playing Central Districts.
In reply CD was in trouble at 21/3 and never recovered. Opening bowler Mat Harvie took 3/18 off seven overs and CD’s best partnership was 76 for the fifth wicket between James De Terte and David Meiring. After this pair were dismissed only James Kuru, with 18 not out, offered any resistance and CD was all out for 164 in 41.5 overs.
• Otago 260 (Sam Wells 87, Mark Craig 70, Dominic Rayner 6/46) beat Central Districts 164 (James de Terte 51, Mat Harvie 3/18, Mark Craig 3/48) by 96 runs
Tomorrow [Saturday] is a rest day. The competition resumes on Sunday with Canterbury playing Otago, Auckland against Wellington, and Northern Districts playing Central Districts.
Cricket : Canterbury A v Auckland A
Canterbury also elected to bat after winning the toss. They lost wickets regularly until Tim Muir and Logan Van Beek grafted a seventh wicket partnership of 77, and Michael Davidson and Van Beek added 65 for the eighth, taking Canterbury through to 256/8 off 50 overs. Van Beek top scored with an unbeaten 75 off 73 balls. Lance Shaw, Michael Bates and spinner Bhupinder Singh took two wickets each with Singh bowling well taking 2/18 off 10 overs.
Auckland judged their run chase well with number three Dusan Hakaraia setting the pace, scoring 112 not out off 116 balls. After a series of useful partnerships Auckland reached the target with one over to spare. For Canterbury Michael Davidson took 2/39 off eight overs.
• Canterbury 256/8 (Logan Van Beek 75*, Tim Muir 40) lost to Auckland 257/6 (Dusan Hakaraia 112*, Mark Turner 45) by 4 wickets
Auckland judged their run chase well with number three Dusan Hakaraia setting the pace, scoring 112 not out off 116 balls. After a series of useful partnerships Auckland reached the target with one over to spare. For Canterbury Michael Davidson took 2/39 off eight overs.
• Canterbury 256/8 (Logan Van Beek 75*, Tim Muir 40) lost to Auckland 257/6 (Dusan Hakaraia 112*, Mark Turner 45) by 4 wickets
Cricket : Northern Districts A v Wellington A
After winning the toss and batting, Northern Districts scored 302/6 in their 50 overs with the highlight being Brad Wilson’s 150. He put on 171 for the fourth wicket with Sam McLeod who made 67 off 70 balls. For Wellington Illi Tugaga took 2/69 off his 10 overs.
In reply Wellington were all out for 270 in 45 overs. Dewayne Bowden top scored with 80 in 68 balls batting at number six. A number of batsmen got starts but Wellington kept losing wickets. Graeme Aldridge was the most successful of the ND bowlers with 3/54 off eight overs while Simon Andrews and Te Ahu Davis both took two wickets each.
• Northern Districts 302/6 (Brad Wilson 150, Sam McLeod 67) beat Wellington 270 (Dewayne Bowden 80, Graeme Aldridge 3/54) by 32 runs
In reply Wellington were all out for 270 in 45 overs. Dewayne Bowden top scored with 80 in 68 balls batting at number six. A number of batsmen got starts but Wellington kept losing wickets. Graeme Aldridge was the most successful of the ND bowlers with 3/54 off eight overs while Simon Andrews and Te Ahu Davis both took two wickets each.
• Northern Districts 302/6 (Brad Wilson 150, Sam McLeod 67) beat Wellington 270 (Dewayne Bowden 80, Graeme Aldridge 3/54) by 32 runs
Cricket : Otago closes gap on Auckland in Provincial A
With a second consecutive bonus point win, Otago are closing on competition leaders Auckland after today’s third round of the Provincial A tournament at Lincoln.
While Auckland and Northern Districts also recorded wins in today’s round, Otago are now just two points behind Auckland. Their win against Central Districts today included an impressive all-round performance by Mark Craig, who scored 70 runs and took three wickets for 48 for the southerners.
Other highlights of the round were a quick-fire 150 off 145 balls from Northern’s Brad Wilson against Wellington – which included 17 fours and three sixes. Auckland’s Dusan Hakaraia was unbeaten on 112 off 116 balls to lead Auckland to beat Canterbury
While Auckland and Northern Districts also recorded wins in today’s round, Otago are now just two points behind Auckland. Their win against Central Districts today included an impressive all-round performance by Mark Craig, who scored 70 runs and took three wickets for 48 for the southerners.
Other highlights of the round were a quick-fire 150 off 145 balls from Northern’s Brad Wilson against Wellington – which included 17 fours and three sixes. Auckland’s Dusan Hakaraia was unbeaten on 112 off 116 balls to lead Auckland to beat Canterbury
Motorsport : Grand-Am Series, 1st round, 24 Hours of Daytona, USA, qualifying: Two Porsche grab front row positions
A strong start for Porsche at the 24 Hours of Daytona: David Donohue (USA) secured pole position with the Porsche Riley of the Brumos Racing team for the long distance classic in Florida, 40 years after his father, Mark, won here. With a one-thousandth of a second gap, Timo Bernhard (Germany) claimed second in the Penske Racing Porsche Riley. Two Porsche tackle the race from the first row – the first time since 1990.
“After the hard work our team put into the car, I felt that I owed them a strong qualifying effort,” said Bernhard before the Grand-Am season-opener. “I would rather have taken pole today, but the main thing is that Porsche has the front row.”
In the GT class as well, Porsche pilots were amongst the fastest. With the 911 GT3 Cup fielded by TRG, Andy Lally (USA) qualified on second place ahead of Porsche-junior Martin Ragginger (Austria) competing for the Autometrics Motorsports team. Wolf Henzler (Germany), reigning GT2 champion of the American Le Mans Series, occupied fifth position with his Farnbacher Loles Racing 911 GT3 Cup ahead of his team mate Dirk Werner (Germany). Porsche-junior Marco Holzer (Germany) clinched the tenth quickest time for his TRG squad. Of the twelve fastest GT vehicles, ten were Porsche race cars.
The Daytona 24 Hour race starts on Saturday at 15.30 hrs local time (21.30 CET).
Qualifying results
1. David Donohue (USA), Porsche Riley (DP), 1:40,540 Minuten
2. Timo Bernhard (D), Porsche Riley (DP), 1:40,541
3. Michael Valiante (CAN), Ford Riley (DP), 1:40,651
4. Ricardo Zonta (BRA), Ford Lola (DP), 1:40,892
5. Ryan Dalziel (USA), BMW Riley (DP), 1:40,915
6. Scott Pruett (USA), Lexus Riley (DP), 1:41,016
7. Max Angelelli (I), Ford Dallara (DP), 1:41,311
8. Scott Dixon (NZ), Lexus Riley (DP), 1:41,316
9. Joao Barbosa (P), Porsche Riley (DP), 1:41,375
10. Christophe Bouchut (F), BMW Riley (DP), 1:41,569
Facts and Figures
This is the Grand American Sports Car Series
In the year 2000, the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series (abbr.: Grand-Am Series) replaced the United States Road Racing Championships. For the 2009 season, twelve races are contested in the USA and Canada. A traditional highlight of the season is the 24 Hours of Daytona. Most races run over a distance of 250 miles.
The grid is made up of two different vehicle categories: Daytona Prototypes and GT vehicles. With one exception, both categories race together but are separately classified.
Daytona Prototypes (DP): Special manufacturers, like Riley, supply the vehicle chassis. To ensure equal chances for all, large manufacturers are not permitted to enter their own team, but may supply engines. Two Porsche teams, Penske Racing and Brumos Racing, compete with the Porsche 3.99-litre six-cylinder fitted in a Riley chassis. In the Daytona Prototype specification, the engine delivers ca. 510 hp. Minimum weight of the vehicle is 1,021 kilograms.
Grand Touring (GT): The GT class is similar to the FIA GT3 class, where the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is one of the most successful contenders. Equality of chances is attained through tyre size, rev limitations and weight. The minimum weight is between 1,043 and 1,270 kilograms.
A balanced starter field ensures thrilling racing with tough fights for positions and many overtaking manoeuvres. Porsche has won the GT championship seven times in nine years, most recently in 2007 with Dirk Werner at the wheel of a Farnbacher Loles Racing 911 GT3 Cup, and with this is one of the most successful manufacturers in the Grand-Am Series. Porsche works driver Joerg Bergmeister claimed the Prototype class title in 2006.
“After the hard work our team put into the car, I felt that I owed them a strong qualifying effort,” said Bernhard before the Grand-Am season-opener. “I would rather have taken pole today, but the main thing is that Porsche has the front row.”
In the GT class as well, Porsche pilots were amongst the fastest. With the 911 GT3 Cup fielded by TRG, Andy Lally (USA) qualified on second place ahead of Porsche-junior Martin Ragginger (Austria) competing for the Autometrics Motorsports team. Wolf Henzler (Germany), reigning GT2 champion of the American Le Mans Series, occupied fifth position with his Farnbacher Loles Racing 911 GT3 Cup ahead of his team mate Dirk Werner (Germany). Porsche-junior Marco Holzer (Germany) clinched the tenth quickest time for his TRG squad. Of the twelve fastest GT vehicles, ten were Porsche race cars.
The Daytona 24 Hour race starts on Saturday at 15.30 hrs local time (21.30 CET).
Qualifying results
1. David Donohue (USA), Porsche Riley (DP), 1:40,540 Minuten
2. Timo Bernhard (D), Porsche Riley (DP), 1:40,541
3. Michael Valiante (CAN), Ford Riley (DP), 1:40,651
4. Ricardo Zonta (BRA), Ford Lola (DP), 1:40,892
5. Ryan Dalziel (USA), BMW Riley (DP), 1:40,915
6. Scott Pruett (USA), Lexus Riley (DP), 1:41,016
7. Max Angelelli (I), Ford Dallara (DP), 1:41,311
8. Scott Dixon (NZ), Lexus Riley (DP), 1:41,316
9. Joao Barbosa (P), Porsche Riley (DP), 1:41,375
10. Christophe Bouchut (F), BMW Riley (DP), 1:41,569
Facts and Figures
This is the Grand American Sports Car Series
In the year 2000, the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series (abbr.: Grand-Am Series) replaced the United States Road Racing Championships. For the 2009 season, twelve races are contested in the USA and Canada. A traditional highlight of the season is the 24 Hours of Daytona. Most races run over a distance of 250 miles.
The grid is made up of two different vehicle categories: Daytona Prototypes and GT vehicles. With one exception, both categories race together but are separately classified.
Daytona Prototypes (DP): Special manufacturers, like Riley, supply the vehicle chassis. To ensure equal chances for all, large manufacturers are not permitted to enter their own team, but may supply engines. Two Porsche teams, Penske Racing and Brumos Racing, compete with the Porsche 3.99-litre six-cylinder fitted in a Riley chassis. In the Daytona Prototype specification, the engine delivers ca. 510 hp. Minimum weight of the vehicle is 1,021 kilograms.
Grand Touring (GT): The GT class is similar to the FIA GT3 class, where the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is one of the most successful contenders. Equality of chances is attained through tyre size, rev limitations and weight. The minimum weight is between 1,043 and 1,270 kilograms.
A balanced starter field ensures thrilling racing with tough fights for positions and many overtaking manoeuvres. Porsche has won the GT championship seven times in nine years, most recently in 2007 with Dirk Werner at the wheel of a Farnbacher Loles Racing 911 GT3 Cup, and with this is one of the most successful manufacturers in the Grand-Am Series. Porsche works driver Joerg Bergmeister claimed the Prototype class title in 2006.
Motorsport : Bridgestone Motorsport Portimão Test Summary
Bridgestone Motorsport, the Official Tyre Supplier to the FIA Formula One World Championship, has completed its first group test of 2009 at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve near Portimão, Portugal, where two compounds of 2009 specification slick tyres were used as well as current specification wet and extreme wet tyres.
Five teams were present over four days of testing between 19-22 January. Despite the Algarve location of the circuit being famed for its good weather, the test was affected by wet and windy weather, with even hailstones falling on the track during the course of the four days. Whilst Bridgestone’s soft and super soft compound slick tyres were available for use, teams predominantly made use of the wet and extreme wet tyres.
Adding to the difficulty of the wet weather, the ambient temperature was also much cooler than is expected to be experienced at races this season, with meaningful data being hard to obtain. The circuit is relatively new, meaning that the surface was very slippery from the new surface itself as well as the rainfall.
Bridgestone’s Potenza Formula One tyres will next been seen in use in Jerez on February 10-13, where six teams are scheduled to test, and in Bahrain on the same dates, where three teams are scheduled to test.
Q&A with Tetsuro Kobayashi – Technical Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport:
What was learnt from this test?
“This was a difficult test because of the weather and we learnt that the Algarve does not always live up to its reputation of good conditions. The rain, and even hailstones, seriously hampered progress during the week. The conditions compounded the difficulty of running on a new track surface as the oils come out from the tarmac, making the surface very slippery, even when we did have dry running.”
With limited testing in 2009, how does this affect developments ahead of the season start?
“For Bridgestone we are confident that there will be sufficient testing for teams before the season starts to enable good, safe, racing. Of course, any test days lost means that teams have not been able to test their new cars and continue learning about our slick tyres, however we will see several more tests before we visit Albert Park in Australia for the first race of the season.”
What are your thoughts of the Portimão track?
“The Portimão track is certainly an impressive facility and a challenging circuit to learn for teams and drivers. The track surface is very smooth, just as you would expect of a new facility. At this test the rain did not help with the grip levels, so in terms of gaining data for us to evaluate, we were at a disadvantage.”
Five teams were present over four days of testing between 19-22 January. Despite the Algarve location of the circuit being famed for its good weather, the test was affected by wet and windy weather, with even hailstones falling on the track during the course of the four days. Whilst Bridgestone’s soft and super soft compound slick tyres were available for use, teams predominantly made use of the wet and extreme wet tyres.
Adding to the difficulty of the wet weather, the ambient temperature was also much cooler than is expected to be experienced at races this season, with meaningful data being hard to obtain. The circuit is relatively new, meaning that the surface was very slippery from the new surface itself as well as the rainfall.
Bridgestone’s Potenza Formula One tyres will next been seen in use in Jerez on February 10-13, where six teams are scheduled to test, and in Bahrain on the same dates, where three teams are scheduled to test.
Q&A with Tetsuro Kobayashi – Technical Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport:
What was learnt from this test?
“This was a difficult test because of the weather and we learnt that the Algarve does not always live up to its reputation of good conditions. The rain, and even hailstones, seriously hampered progress during the week. The conditions compounded the difficulty of running on a new track surface as the oils come out from the tarmac, making the surface very slippery, even when we did have dry running.”
With limited testing in 2009, how does this affect developments ahead of the season start?
“For Bridgestone we are confident that there will be sufficient testing for teams before the season starts to enable good, safe, racing. Of course, any test days lost means that teams have not been able to test their new cars and continue learning about our slick tyres, however we will see several more tests before we visit Albert Park in Australia for the first race of the season.”
What are your thoughts of the Portimão track?
“The Portimão track is certainly an impressive facility and a challenging circuit to learn for teams and drivers. The track surface is very smooth, just as you would expect of a new facility. At this test the rain did not help with the grip levels, so in terms of gaining data for us to evaluate, we were at a disadvantage.”
Golf : Jimenez, Stenson, Coltart Share Lead In Commercialbank Qatar Masters
Henrik Stenson, Andrew Coltart and Miguel Angel Jimenez share the early lead after opening rounds of six-under par 66 at the $2.5 million Commercialbank Qatar Masters, Presented by Dolphin Energy.
Between them Stenson - the 2006 champion – and 1998 winner Coltart have made eighteen previous appearances at Doha Golf Club and their familiarity with the course was obvious.
After a round that produced seven birdies and just one dropped shot, Stenson said: “I was not at my best but I putted well so it’s all down to the putter. There are always good scoring conditions early on. The set up of the course is as good as we’ve ever seen it.”
As for Coltart, the first ever winner in Qatar turned back the clock with a vintage performance on what is his eleventh tournament over the 7,388-yard course and his place at the top of the leaderboard is a welcome return after a difficult spell left him relying on sponsor invites.
“My career wasn't really going anywhere other than one direction, down,” said the Scot after carding just one bogey in a round that also included five birdies and an eagle. “I wasn’t achieving anything out on the golf course, ended up losing the card last year and had to go back to Tour School.”
Card regained and confidence restored, Coltart admitted he is relishing being back in among the best in the game – this week’s field is the strongest ever seen in any European Tour event outside of the Open and the BMW PGA.
“Having a field as good as this is a tremendous achievement for the tournament,” added Coltart. “Doha has created a niche for itself in the sporting world thanks to events like this and the tennis championships. It really has improved immensely over the years, while the golf course we have here has been set up really well.”
The two were joined on six-under par by Jimenez whose flawless round of 66 featured six birdies, despite the Spaniard suffering from a minor skiing injury.
“I was skiing in Sierra Nevada, fell down holding my son and I got the stick between my hand and the ground tore some ligaments in my thumb,” he said. “It hurts a little bit, especially with the long clubs. With the short clubs, it's fine, but with the long clubs, that's when you feel the pain.”
Closely shadowing the leaders is a group of five players on five-under par (67), including former European No.1 Lee Westwood.
Despite a month away from the game and using a new set of clubs, Westwood at one stage enjoyed a one-shot lead after his first competitive round of the year.
“Patience is the key on this course,” said Westwood, who shares joint fourth place with Anders Hansen, Brett Rumford, Robert Dinwiddie and Louis Oosthuizen. “It has been set up fair and the greens are excellent. But if the wind picks up as it can and hits 15-20mph then this will be a real test.”
While big guns Stenson, Jimenez and Westwood enjoyed good opening rounds, it was an unremarkable first day for Paul Casey (76), Boo Weekley (74) and defending champion Adam Scott (73), while Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia are handily placed on two under par (70) with Retief Goosen on three under (69).
Leading Scores After Round One
66 (-6): Jimenez (Sp), Stenson (Swe), Coltart (Sco)
67 (-5): Westwood (Eng), Rumford (Aus), Hansen (Den), Oosthuizen (RSA), Dinwiddie (Eng)
68 (-4): Baddeley (Aus), Karlsson (Swe), Sandelin (Swe) Lafeber (NL), Dougherty (Eng), Broadhurst (Eng)
Between them Stenson - the 2006 champion – and 1998 winner Coltart have made eighteen previous appearances at Doha Golf Club and their familiarity with the course was obvious.
After a round that produced seven birdies and just one dropped shot, Stenson said: “I was not at my best but I putted well so it’s all down to the putter. There are always good scoring conditions early on. The set up of the course is as good as we’ve ever seen it.”
As for Coltart, the first ever winner in Qatar turned back the clock with a vintage performance on what is his eleventh tournament over the 7,388-yard course and his place at the top of the leaderboard is a welcome return after a difficult spell left him relying on sponsor invites.
“My career wasn't really going anywhere other than one direction, down,” said the Scot after carding just one bogey in a round that also included five birdies and an eagle. “I wasn’t achieving anything out on the golf course, ended up losing the card last year and had to go back to Tour School.”
Card regained and confidence restored, Coltart admitted he is relishing being back in among the best in the game – this week’s field is the strongest ever seen in any European Tour event outside of the Open and the BMW PGA.
“Having a field as good as this is a tremendous achievement for the tournament,” added Coltart. “Doha has created a niche for itself in the sporting world thanks to events like this and the tennis championships. It really has improved immensely over the years, while the golf course we have here has been set up really well.”
The two were joined on six-under par by Jimenez whose flawless round of 66 featured six birdies, despite the Spaniard suffering from a minor skiing injury.
“I was skiing in Sierra Nevada, fell down holding my son and I got the stick between my hand and the ground tore some ligaments in my thumb,” he said. “It hurts a little bit, especially with the long clubs. With the short clubs, it's fine, but with the long clubs, that's when you feel the pain.”
Closely shadowing the leaders is a group of five players on five-under par (67), including former European No.1 Lee Westwood.
Despite a month away from the game and using a new set of clubs, Westwood at one stage enjoyed a one-shot lead after his first competitive round of the year.
“Patience is the key on this course,” said Westwood, who shares joint fourth place with Anders Hansen, Brett Rumford, Robert Dinwiddie and Louis Oosthuizen. “It has been set up fair and the greens are excellent. But if the wind picks up as it can and hits 15-20mph then this will be a real test.”
While big guns Stenson, Jimenez and Westwood enjoyed good opening rounds, it was an unremarkable first day for Paul Casey (76), Boo Weekley (74) and defending champion Adam Scott (73), while Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia are handily placed on two under par (70) with Retief Goosen on three under (69).
Leading Scores After Round One
66 (-6): Jimenez (Sp), Stenson (Swe), Coltart (Sco)
67 (-5): Westwood (Eng), Rumford (Aus), Hansen (Den), Oosthuizen (RSA), Dinwiddie (Eng)
68 (-4): Baddeley (Aus), Karlsson (Swe), Sandelin (Swe) Lafeber (NL), Dougherty (Eng), Broadhurst (Eng)
Football: Testicular Cancer Survivors Go Head To Head In FA Cup
Millwall's Neil Harris and Hull City's Matt Duke are united in their fight against testicular cancer, but this weekend loyalties will be divided as they face each other in the FA cup fourth round.
Striker Neil Harris is looking to further extend his position as Millwall's all time, leading scorer by getting past keeper Matt Duke and netting the goals that send Premiership side Hull City crashing out of the FA cup.
Duke and Harris are good friends off the pitch and work together raising awareness of, and funds for testicular cancer research at the Everyman Male Cancer Campaign, after both having survived the disease. However such allegiances will swiftly be forgotten on Saturday when the Division 1 Lions battle the Premiership Tigers.
"Matt and I have fought on the same side against testicular cancer and been through so much, but this weekend we'll definitely be lining up as opponents," Harris said.
"It'll be great to pit our wits against each other and hopefully I'll be the one celebrating when the final whistle blows."
Duke was diagnosed with testicular cancer 12 months ago but has since made a successful come back for Hull City and played a starring role in the last round by keeping a clean sheet against Newcastle United.
"Neil's a great lad but friendship won't be a factor that will come into play on Saturday. Both Millwall and Hull are having great seasons but I'm confident we can go one better by knocking Millwall out this weekend."
No matter which team you will be supporting this weekend get behind Everyman and visit www.everymancancer.org and make a donation for Harris or Duke today.
Everyman is also pleased to announce that it will continue to be working alongside The FA as one of their charity partners during 2009. Everyman's Keep Your Eye on the Ball campaign was established in 2000 and will continue to raise awareness of male cancers within the football community with this year's focus fortnight in April.
---------------
Notes:
* Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in men aged between 15 and 44, with about 2,000 cases a year in the UK. Incidence is increasing dramatically - by almost four-fold in the past 50 years, but thanks to advances made at Everyman, testicular cancer is 99% curable if caught early, and with treatment the overall cure rate is 95%.
* Prostate cancer has overtaken lung cancer to become the most common cancer in men affecting almost 35,000 men every year in the UK. One man dies of prostate cancer in the UK every hour, a total of 10,000 men per year.
Everyman is the UK leading male cancer campaign which raises awareness of, and funds research into testicular and prostate cancer. Everyman funds research at The Everyman Centre - Europe's first and only centre dedicated to male cancer research. Everyman is focussed on improving the survival rate of men with testicular cancer by raising awareness about the early symptoms. Its scientists have also led groundbreaking research into new treatments for prostate cancer. The Everyman Centre is located within Europe's leading cancer organisation, The Institute of Cancer Research. The Institute is marking its centenary in 2009, celebrating 100 years of world leading research into cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. For more information visit www.everymancancer.org
Striker Neil Harris is looking to further extend his position as Millwall's all time, leading scorer by getting past keeper Matt Duke and netting the goals that send Premiership side Hull City crashing out of the FA cup.
Duke and Harris are good friends off the pitch and work together raising awareness of, and funds for testicular cancer research at the Everyman Male Cancer Campaign, after both having survived the disease. However such allegiances will swiftly be forgotten on Saturday when the Division 1 Lions battle the Premiership Tigers.
"Matt and I have fought on the same side against testicular cancer and been through so much, but this weekend we'll definitely be lining up as opponents," Harris said.
"It'll be great to pit our wits against each other and hopefully I'll be the one celebrating when the final whistle blows."
Duke was diagnosed with testicular cancer 12 months ago but has since made a successful come back for Hull City and played a starring role in the last round by keeping a clean sheet against Newcastle United.
"Neil's a great lad but friendship won't be a factor that will come into play on Saturday. Both Millwall and Hull are having great seasons but I'm confident we can go one better by knocking Millwall out this weekend."
No matter which team you will be supporting this weekend get behind Everyman and visit www.everymancancer.org and make a donation for Harris or Duke today.
Everyman is also pleased to announce that it will continue to be working alongside The FA as one of their charity partners during 2009. Everyman's Keep Your Eye on the Ball campaign was established in 2000 and will continue to raise awareness of male cancers within the football community with this year's focus fortnight in April.
---------------
Notes:
* Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in men aged between 15 and 44, with about 2,000 cases a year in the UK. Incidence is increasing dramatically - by almost four-fold in the past 50 years, but thanks to advances made at Everyman, testicular cancer is 99% curable if caught early, and with treatment the overall cure rate is 95%.
* Prostate cancer has overtaken lung cancer to become the most common cancer in men affecting almost 35,000 men every year in the UK. One man dies of prostate cancer in the UK every hour, a total of 10,000 men per year.
Everyman is the UK leading male cancer campaign which raises awareness of, and funds research into testicular and prostate cancer. Everyman funds research at The Everyman Centre - Europe's first and only centre dedicated to male cancer research. Everyman is focussed on improving the survival rate of men with testicular cancer by raising awareness about the early symptoms. Its scientists have also led groundbreaking research into new treatments for prostate cancer. The Everyman Centre is located within Europe's leading cancer organisation, The Institute of Cancer Research. The Institute is marking its centenary in 2009, celebrating 100 years of world leading research into cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. For more information visit www.everymancancer.org
Golf : England Internationals Challenge For Jones Cup
Eight members of the England Squad will get their first taste of international action for 2009 when they line up in the biennial Jones Cup Invitational in the United States at the start of February.
The group comprises of Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall), Luke Goddard (Hendon), Matt Haines (Rochester & Cobham), Sam Hutsby (Liphook), Chris Paisley (Stocksfield), Tom Sherreard (Chart Hills), Steve Uzzell (Hornsea) and Dale Whitnell (Five Lakes).
A field of 84 players, including the top amateurs from the US, Scotland and Wales, will compete over 54 holes of stroke play at Ocean Forest Golf Club, Sea Island, Georgia, on 6th - 8th February.
Fleetwood, 18, became a boy cap in 2007 and last year was Boy Captain while making his full England debut in the Home Internationals in Scotland. Also in 2008, he finished runner-up in the Amateur Championship but won the Lancashire Championship and the English County Champions Tournament, both in playoffs.
Goddard, 20, enjoyed a triumphant 2008, with victories in the South of England Stroke Play and the Argentine Amateur Championship, while he was runner-up in the Selborne and Hampshire Salvers and the Lagonda Trophy. He also made his full England debut in the Home Internationals, was selected for the Eisenhower Trophy team and was a member of the winning side in the Portugal Nations Cup.
Haines, 19, made his full England debut against France last May and played in the European Men’s Team Championships and the Home Internationals. He won the Lytham Trophy and represented GB&I in the St Andrews Trophy. On his last visit to the US, Haines finished equal fifth in the Thunderbird Junior Championship.
Hutsby, 20, was another member of last year’s Eisenhower Trophy team, having won the Bernard Darwin Salver and finished runner-up in the Welsh Open Stroke Play and fourth in the St Andrews Links Trophy. A former Spanish Amateur Champion, he made his full England debut in the 2007 Home Internationals, played in all of last year’s international team events and the St Andrews Trophy.
Paisley, 22 (photo courtesy of Tom Ward), is in the US at the University of Tennessee where he has claimed several successes. He won the Czech Amateur Championship on this side of the Atlantic last year and finished runner-up in the Tillman Trophy, the South of England Stroke Play and the English Amateur Championship. He also represented GB&I in the St Andrews Trophy.
Sherreard, 21, is also in America at Georgia State University. A former McEvoy Trophy winner, he reached the semi-finals of the England Amateur in 2008, won the South East Qualifying and made his full England debut in the Home Internationals. He also starred in the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, finishing 19th.
Uzzell, 25, made his full England debut against France last May but played only one match because of injury. However, he recovered to win the Brabazon Trophy at Trevose while he also won the Russian Amateur, represented GB&I in the St Andrews Trophy and England in the Home Internationals.
Whitnell, 20, twice North of England Youths Champion, has been a full England International for the past two years and was the third member of the Eisenhower Trophy team. He won the Lagonda and Tillman Trophies in 2008, was runner-up to Haines in the Lytham Trophy and was a semi-finalist in the Australian Amateur Championship. He was also a member of the GB&I St Andrews Trophy team.
The Jones Cup was inaugurated in 2001 as a prelude to the Walker Cup at Sea Island and so far the title has eluded English players. The most successful has been Gary Wolstenholme who finished tied fifth in 2001 while Jamie Elson was equal sixth two years later.
Results can be accessed via the English Golf Union (EGU) website, www.englishgolfunion.org.
The group comprises of Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall), Luke Goddard (Hendon), Matt Haines (Rochester & Cobham), Sam Hutsby (Liphook), Chris Paisley (Stocksfield), Tom Sherreard (Chart Hills), Steve Uzzell (Hornsea) and Dale Whitnell (Five Lakes).
A field of 84 players, including the top amateurs from the US, Scotland and Wales, will compete over 54 holes of stroke play at Ocean Forest Golf Club, Sea Island, Georgia, on 6th - 8th February.
Fleetwood, 18, became a boy cap in 2007 and last year was Boy Captain while making his full England debut in the Home Internationals in Scotland. Also in 2008, he finished runner-up in the Amateur Championship but won the Lancashire Championship and the English County Champions Tournament, both in playoffs.
Goddard, 20, enjoyed a triumphant 2008, with victories in the South of England Stroke Play and the Argentine Amateur Championship, while he was runner-up in the Selborne and Hampshire Salvers and the Lagonda Trophy. He also made his full England debut in the Home Internationals, was selected for the Eisenhower Trophy team and was a member of the winning side in the Portugal Nations Cup.
Haines, 19, made his full England debut against France last May and played in the European Men’s Team Championships and the Home Internationals. He won the Lytham Trophy and represented GB&I in the St Andrews Trophy. On his last visit to the US, Haines finished equal fifth in the Thunderbird Junior Championship.
Hutsby, 20, was another member of last year’s Eisenhower Trophy team, having won the Bernard Darwin Salver and finished runner-up in the Welsh Open Stroke Play and fourth in the St Andrews Links Trophy. A former Spanish Amateur Champion, he made his full England debut in the 2007 Home Internationals, played in all of last year’s international team events and the St Andrews Trophy.
Paisley, 22 (photo courtesy of Tom Ward), is in the US at the University of Tennessee where he has claimed several successes. He won the Czech Amateur Championship on this side of the Atlantic last year and finished runner-up in the Tillman Trophy, the South of England Stroke Play and the English Amateur Championship. He also represented GB&I in the St Andrews Trophy.
Sherreard, 21, is also in America at Georgia State University. A former McEvoy Trophy winner, he reached the semi-finals of the England Amateur in 2008, won the South East Qualifying and made his full England debut in the Home Internationals. He also starred in the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, finishing 19th.
Uzzell, 25, made his full England debut against France last May but played only one match because of injury. However, he recovered to win the Brabazon Trophy at Trevose while he also won the Russian Amateur, represented GB&I in the St Andrews Trophy and England in the Home Internationals.
Whitnell, 20, twice North of England Youths Champion, has been a full England International for the past two years and was the third member of the Eisenhower Trophy team. He won the Lagonda and Tillman Trophies in 2008, was runner-up to Haines in the Lytham Trophy and was a semi-finalist in the Australian Amateur Championship. He was also a member of the GB&I St Andrews Trophy team.
The Jones Cup was inaugurated in 2001 as a prelude to the Walker Cup at Sea Island and so far the title has eluded English players. The most successful has been Gary Wolstenholme who finished tied fifth in 2001 while Jamie Elson was equal sixth two years later.
Results can be accessed via the English Golf Union (EGU) website, www.englishgolfunion.org.
Ice Hockey (UK) : Vipers To Host Stan Calvert Cup
The region's elite ice hockey club, the Mincoff Vipers are to host this years Stan Calvert Cup ice hockey fixture between Northumbria University and Newcastle University on Sunday 8th February 2009, at the Metro Radio Arena after the Vipers face the Basingstoke Bison in their bmibaby Elite League clash.
The Stan Calvert Cup is the annual competition between Northumbria University and Newcastle University that sees over 1000 students in 45 teams play each other in approximately 20 different sports. The winners of each individual match are awarded 2 points. The winning University and the Stan Calvert trophy winners will be the team with the most points and for the first time, the ice hockey round will take place at the Metro Radio Arena as part of a Vipers match night evening.
The Vipers will face off against the Basingstoke Bison at 4.30pm with the Stan Calvert Cup taking place straight after the game at approximately 7.30pm.
Students will be able to take advantage of an exclusive ticket offer for this day of ice hockey with tickets being reduced from their usual £9 for a Vipers game to £5 for both games. The Metro Radio Arena will also be slashing their prices on selected drinks.
Vipers season ticket holders and fans who purchase a ticket for the Basingstoke Bison game can also stay for the Stan Calvert Cup fixture as part of their ticket.
Tickets are available from Monday 28th January from the Vipers Club Shop located at 16 Shakespeare Street in the city centre of Newcastle (next to the Theatre Royal). Northumbria University student's can also purchase tickets from the Universities city centre sports hall and Newcastle University students can purchase tickets from the University on the 2nd floor of the Union & Sports Centre Reception. Tickets will also be available for purchase on the night from the Student Entrance at the Metro Radio Arena from 3.30pm on the day. Valid Student ID will be required.
The Stan Calvert Cup is the annual competition between Northumbria University and Newcastle University that sees over 1000 students in 45 teams play each other in approximately 20 different sports. The winners of each individual match are awarded 2 points. The winning University and the Stan Calvert trophy winners will be the team with the most points and for the first time, the ice hockey round will take place at the Metro Radio Arena as part of a Vipers match night evening.
The Vipers will face off against the Basingstoke Bison at 4.30pm with the Stan Calvert Cup taking place straight after the game at approximately 7.30pm.
Students will be able to take advantage of an exclusive ticket offer for this day of ice hockey with tickets being reduced from their usual £9 for a Vipers game to £5 for both games. The Metro Radio Arena will also be slashing their prices on selected drinks.
Vipers season ticket holders and fans who purchase a ticket for the Basingstoke Bison game can also stay for the Stan Calvert Cup fixture as part of their ticket.
Tickets are available from Monday 28th January from the Vipers Club Shop located at 16 Shakespeare Street in the city centre of Newcastle (next to the Theatre Royal). Northumbria University student's can also purchase tickets from the Universities city centre sports hall and Newcastle University students can purchase tickets from the University on the 2nd floor of the Union & Sports Centre Reception. Tickets will also be available for purchase on the night from the Student Entrance at the Metro Radio Arena from 3.30pm on the day. Valid Student ID will be required.
Cricket : Runs galore in club cricket
Two double centuries marked the resumption of Wellington club cricket last weekend. Johnsonville Senior batsman Atiq-uz-Zaman scored 226 not out in the Dominion Post Senior grade at Alex Moore Park, while Onslow 2D player Nick Angus cracked 200 not out in his team's total of 294 against Wellington Collegians. Carrying the mantle for the bowlers was Senior Collegians player Patrick Whelan who took a hat trick against North City. Left arm seamer Whelan was making his debut for the club after playing for Wellington College in the first half of the season.
Cricket : Wellington rep teams in action this week
The representative cricket season is in full swing this week.The Wellington A's enjoyed an excellent first-up win against Central Districts in the National Provincial A tournament opener on Wednesday. On Tuesday the Wellington U17s beat Northern Districts outright by four wickets with one ball to spare in the National U17 tournament in Napier. Meanwhile the Wellington 15s are currently playing in Rotorua for the North Island U15 tournament and the Wellington secondary schools girls have been hosting the North Island Secondary Schools Girls tournament at Karori Park.
Cricket : Domestic State TWENTY20 arrives next month!!! Catch the phenomenon!
SEVEN reasons why you can't miss it!
1. State TWENTY20 cricket is high octane, rock 'n' roll cricket
2. 3 hours of high powered entertainment
3. State TWENTY20 cricket produces an average run rate of 8-9 runs per over
4. An average of 36 boundaries are hit in every State TWENTY20 match
5. Almost 50% of State TWENTY20 cricket matches are won and lost in the final over
6. The Firebirds boast Graham Napier, the world record holder for the most number of sixes in a TWENTY20 innings (16 sixes, culminating in 152 runs off 58 balls)
7. The winner of the State TWENTY20 competition is in line to play in the Indian Champions League for an enormous $US prize pool
1. State TWENTY20 cricket is high octane, rock 'n' roll cricket
2. 3 hours of high powered entertainment
3. State TWENTY20 cricket produces an average run rate of 8-9 runs per over
4. An average of 36 boundaries are hit in every State TWENTY20 match
5. Almost 50% of State TWENTY20 cricket matches are won and lost in the final over
6. The Firebirds boast Graham Napier, the world record holder for the most number of sixes in a TWENTY20 innings (16 sixes, culminating in 152 runs off 58 balls)
7. The winner of the State TWENTY20 competition is in line to play in the Indian Champions League for an enormous $US prize pool
Friday, January 23, 2009
Cricket : Launch of new ACST web site
Asian Cricket Sixes Tour - you don't know what you're missing!!
Our new website is now up and running. It is gradually being updated and loaded so please be patient if not everything is running at the moment.
Feel free to have a look at:
www.cricketsixes.com
Our new website is now up and running. It is gradually being updated and loaded so please be patient if not everything is running at the moment.
Feel free to have a look at:
www.cricketsixes.com
Tennis : GUNS OF NAVARRO SHOOT DOWN VENUS
CARLA Suarez Navarro, a massive outsider prior to her second-round encounter, completed the upset of the 2009 Australian Open – and indeed, the most incredible victory in a tennis match in recent memory – over no. 6 seed Venus Williams tonight. The young Spaniard was matched at a phenomenal $150 on Betfair’s in-play market on the match.
Betfair punters had all but written Navarro off – and with good reason – after she was humbled 6-2 in the first set against the seven-time grand slam winner.
But the feisty Spaniard fought back hard to take the second set 6-3, and the final 7-5 against Williams, who had traded heavily at Betfair’s minimum price of $1.01 when up a set and looking the goods. More than $4 million was wagered on Williams at $1.10 or below in Betfair’s dynamic in-play markets.
But the story of the night was Navarro’s unbelievable comeback, and the amazing odds offered on her victory, when all hope seemed lost after the first set. Hundreds were matched at 100-1 and longer on the seemingly hapless Navarro was when all but gone – more than $650,000 traded on her altogether.
Betfair punters had all but written Navarro off – and with good reason – after she was humbled 6-2 in the first set against the seven-time grand slam winner.
But the feisty Spaniard fought back hard to take the second set 6-3, and the final 7-5 against Williams, who had traded heavily at Betfair’s minimum price of $1.01 when up a set and looking the goods. More than $4 million was wagered on Williams at $1.10 or below in Betfair’s dynamic in-play markets.
But the story of the night was Navarro’s unbelievable comeback, and the amazing odds offered on her victory, when all hope seemed lost after the first set. Hundreds were matched at 100-1 and longer on the seemingly hapless Navarro was when all but gone – more than $650,000 traded on her altogether.
Sailing : TELEFÓNICA BLACK LEG FOUR DAY 5 QFB: received 22.01.09 1601 GMT
Dear all
It has been a very busy day today, and it has not ended yet. The guys are inside the bow of the ‘Demonio’, still repairing a ripped J2, so imagine the difficulties on such a bumpy road! But they are doing a great job.
Apart from that, we have been dealing with continuous wind changes in direction and speed, so the work on deck has been extenuating. We have lost the lead, but the final approach to the waypoint next to Manila promises to be really tight for the leading pack. Right now, we are involved in another of the countless tacks in this upwind leg. Fighting hard and with spirits high as always in the TELEFÓNICA NEGRO!
Anecdote: bad luck for Javi (Javier de la Plaza/ESP) tonight, as his shin encountered a new item on deck with the result of some pain and a couple of filthy words! And not to forget the ‘attack of the flying fish’, much bigger than any seen before in other seas.
So, with our Roger, as any navigator in the world would, enjoying sailing in this part of the world with less-than-reliable charts, we will see what tomorrow brings.
Mikel Pasabant - MCM
It has been a very busy day today, and it has not ended yet. The guys are inside the bow of the ‘Demonio’, still repairing a ripped J2, so imagine the difficulties on such a bumpy road! But they are doing a great job.
Apart from that, we have been dealing with continuous wind changes in direction and speed, so the work on deck has been extenuating. We have lost the lead, but the final approach to the waypoint next to Manila promises to be really tight for the leading pack. Right now, we are involved in another of the countless tacks in this upwind leg. Fighting hard and with spirits high as always in the TELEFÓNICA NEGRO!
Anecdote: bad luck for Javi (Javier de la Plaza/ESP) tonight, as his shin encountered a new item on deck with the result of some pain and a couple of filthy words! And not to forget the ‘attack of the flying fish’, much bigger than any seen before in other seas.
So, with our Roger, as any navigator in the world would, enjoying sailing in this part of the world with less-than-reliable charts, we will see what tomorrow brings.
Mikel Pasabant - MCM
Sailing : ERICSSON 4 LEG FOUR DAY 5 QFB: received 22.01.09 1328 GMT
Well, it's the end of day four and we are starting to see how much of a loss we have suffered by sticking to our plan to stay in the Palawan Channel. Most of the boats out to sea have now tacked onto port and are approaching our line. It looks like the deficit will be 60 or more miles to Puma, which is significant to say the least, although with over half the leg to go and with the weather conditions forecast, this leg is far from over.
Speaking of weather, up until now, things have been pretty mild in both wind speeds and temperatures. Jules just let us know that the breeze will start building tonight and will soon be well into the mid thirties. This is what we have prepared the boat for and, hopefully, these are the conditions in which that E4 will start to excel. Time for us to get back into the race.
Goodnight for now,
Ryan Godfrey - bowman
Speaking of weather, up until now, things have been pretty mild in both wind speeds and temperatures. Jules just let us know that the breeze will start building tonight and will soon be well into the mid thirties. This is what we have prepared the boat for and, hopefully, these are the conditions in which that E4 will start to excel. Time for us to get back into the race.
Goodnight for now,
Ryan Godfrey - bowman
Sailing : Day 74 onboard Roxy in the Vendée Globe
Sam Davies’ daily log - “What does a girl have to do to get in front?”
Hello from a soggy Roxy!
Well, I am still trying to escape the clutches of this thundery front that I have been sailing in for the last day or so. Inside the front there are thunderstorms, rain, and no wind, so each time I reach the front, Roxy stops, the front then moves forward, and so we find ourselves spat out the back. Then the process starts again!
So, it seems that Roxy is only allowed to move forward as fast as the front is moving.... no matter how hard I try! It’s hard work, as the front throws up is shifty and gusty wind conditions, before it dies off. So I have been manoeuvring, gybing and tacking alot!
Loads of insects are hitching a ride on Roxy at the moment. There are all kinds of flying things, which are fine during the day, but quite scary at night because when I am wearing my head-torch they keep flying into my face! As you can imagine, a girl with a big moth suddenly flapping around her head, creates the stereotypical noisy reaction!!!!
As I write, we have come to another windless stop, the sails are flapping around in the swell, and there is torrential rain battering the deck, but at least it's warm rain! Anyway, I have to go and be ready to change trim for the next puff of wind....
S x
At 1600 UK time, Sam Davies aboard Roxy was in 5th position, 1,985 miles from race leader Michel Desjoyeaux aboard Foncia
Hello from a soggy Roxy!
Well, I am still trying to escape the clutches of this thundery front that I have been sailing in for the last day or so. Inside the front there are thunderstorms, rain, and no wind, so each time I reach the front, Roxy stops, the front then moves forward, and so we find ourselves spat out the back. Then the process starts again!
So, it seems that Roxy is only allowed to move forward as fast as the front is moving.... no matter how hard I try! It’s hard work, as the front throws up is shifty and gusty wind conditions, before it dies off. So I have been manoeuvring, gybing and tacking alot!
Loads of insects are hitching a ride on Roxy at the moment. There are all kinds of flying things, which are fine during the day, but quite scary at night because when I am wearing my head-torch they keep flying into my face! As you can imagine, a girl with a big moth suddenly flapping around her head, creates the stereotypical noisy reaction!!!!
As I write, we have come to another windless stop, the sails are flapping around in the swell, and there is torrential rain battering the deck, but at least it's warm rain! Anyway, I have to go and be ready to change trim for the next puff of wind....
S x
At 1600 UK time, Sam Davies aboard Roxy was in 5th position, 1,985 miles from race leader Michel Desjoyeaux aboard Foncia
Crew Wanted!! Engineer and Chef team
I'm in need of an experienced permanent Engineer and Chef team for private/charter in the Caribbean ASAP. I was wondering when you have a moment, if you could send out a mass email to everyone in the group regarding the position... Some more details and requirements are:
The boat is a 118' Millenium, foreign flagged, based out of South Florida. AEC a plus with AT LEAST 1 years experience for Engineer. The chef must have yachting experience as well.
Crew can send resumes to:
nicole@chamberlainyachts.com
The boat is a 118' Millenium, foreign flagged, based out of South Florida. AEC a plus with AT LEAST 1 years experience for Engineer. The chef must have yachting experience as well.
Crew can send resumes to:
nicole@chamberlainyachts.com
Crew Wanted!! Chief and 2nd Stewardess needed
150' Expedition Yacht based in Palma looking for Chief Stewardess with minimum 4-5 years experience and a 2nd Stew with STCW95. Great benefits incl. private cabin, adventurous cruising schedule and a great happy crew with lots of longevity !
Start: Early - Mid February
Contact: molinlars@hotmail.com
Lars
www.larsmolin.com
Start: Early - Mid February
Contact: molinlars@hotmail.com
Lars
www.larsmolin.com
Cycling : Kashi Leuchs Announces Team RoadCraft's NZ MTB Tour
Two of New Zealand’s top international mountain bike riders, Kashi Leuchs, of Dunedin, and Marcus Roy, of Invercargill, have joined forces to create Team RoadCraft, which will embark on a heartland tour of some of New Zealand’s most pristine adventure rides.
“The initiative came about through the drive to rediscover what ‘true’ mountain biking is all about,” Leuchs said. “We spend all year with the pressure of the European-based World Cup circuit and we always look forward to coming home to ride and have fun with family and friends,” he said.
The RoadCraft MTB tour will see Leuchs and Roy road trip around some of New
Zealand’s best mountain bike endurance races. Leuchs has represented New Zealand at the Olympics three times and hopes to use the tour as a build up to the world circuit he’ll be returning to in March with his new team, Felt International. He will be based out of Annecy, France. “My idea was to get out there and into New Zealand’s breathtaking landscapes and meet nice people in a relaxed atmosphere. This is a great opportunity to showcase the incredible scenery and races we have in our backyard. Then, at the same time, getting fit for my international race season,” Leuchs said.
Key events on the RoadCraft MTB tour include the 43km R&R Sports Otago Peninsula
Challenge on February 1, the inaugural Alpine Epic 260km stage race from Mt Somers to
Tekapo from February 25 to 28 and the 50km Motatapu Icebreaker starting at Glendhu
Bay, Wanaka on March 14 and finishing in Arrowtown.
RoadCraft designed the team’s overland camping vehicle (OCV) and share the team’s
passion for outdoor adventure sports. Other partners include R&R Sports, which has supported Leuchs and Roy for many years and will supply the team with everything from camping equipment to bike maintenance. LivingSpace is a hotel and apartment chain, which is where Leuchs is presently residing while in Dunedin.
Ice Hockey - Flames And Mark Williams Agree To Part Ways
The Guildford Flames ice hockey club and defenceman Mark Williams have mutually agreed the player’s release from his duties with immediate effect. The 6’1”, 210 lb defenceman was heading for retirement this past summer when he made the late decision to join the English Premier League champions for the 2008-2009 term.
A native of Birmingham, the 32 year old blueliner iced in 30 games with the Surrey side, tallying 1 goal, 3 assists and 62 minutes in penalties. Prior to this season, Williams iced the last two complete campaigns with the Romford Raiders, posting 6 goals, 28 assists and 362 penalty minutes. He first skated in Romford during the 2002-2003 season before moving on to the EPL cup champion Peterborough Phantoms the year after that. He returned to Romford for 2004-2005 before splitting the following season between the Raiders and the Chelmsford Chieftains. In nearly 300 games, over the past 6 plus seasons, Williams has 87 points and more than 1000 minutes in penalties.
Flames Head Coach Paul Dixon discussed the roster change:
“This decision made jointly between Mark and the club is in the best interests of both parties. As we said when Mark signed with us, he was contemplating retirement and working on personal opportunities in his transition away from the sport. Some of those developing obligations are making it difficult for Mark to justify his significant commitment to us. For the benefit of both sides, we have mutually agreed the best course of action is to make Mark available to explore options that may be a better fit for his playing career and the things he is trying to accomplish outside the game. Mark is a great Character. We thank him for his contribution to the team so far this season and we wish him all the best in his move.”
A native of Birmingham, the 32 year old blueliner iced in 30 games with the Surrey side, tallying 1 goal, 3 assists and 62 minutes in penalties. Prior to this season, Williams iced the last two complete campaigns with the Romford Raiders, posting 6 goals, 28 assists and 362 penalty minutes. He first skated in Romford during the 2002-2003 season before moving on to the EPL cup champion Peterborough Phantoms the year after that. He returned to Romford for 2004-2005 before splitting the following season between the Raiders and the Chelmsford Chieftains. In nearly 300 games, over the past 6 plus seasons, Williams has 87 points and more than 1000 minutes in penalties.
Flames Head Coach Paul Dixon discussed the roster change:
“This decision made jointly between Mark and the club is in the best interests of both parties. As we said when Mark signed with us, he was contemplating retirement and working on personal opportunities in his transition away from the sport. Some of those developing obligations are making it difficult for Mark to justify his significant commitment to us. For the benefit of both sides, we have mutually agreed the best course of action is to make Mark available to explore options that may be a better fit for his playing career and the things he is trying to accomplish outside the game. Mark is a great Character. We thank him for his contribution to the team so far this season and we wish him all the best in his move.”
FA Cup Classics From Newcastle And Sunderland Out Now On DVD
Leading sports DVD producer ILC Media has an impressive range of FA Cup Finals available on DVD, with exclusive rights to almost 50 FA Cup Finals. So if you’re looking for a classic cup final match, chances are we’ve got it! Here are details of two the classic finals out now on DVD featuring clubs from the North East
Newcastle v Manchester City 1955 FA Cup Final
For the third time in five years Newcastle returned to Wembley to seal the FA Cup for a record sixth time in their illustrious history. It was a day full of drama, as Wembley bathed in the May sunshine, and both sets supporters created an atmosphere that was a wonder to behold.
On the eve of the final, Jackie Milburn is quoted as saying that the match will be “like playing a home tie”, and the Newcastle great made no mistake in laying his marker on the game by scoring the fastest FA Cup final goal ever up to that time. It would be a record that he would hold until 1997 when Chelsea’s Roberto Di Matteo scored after only 43-seconds to beat Milburn.
Remarkably to date, it would be the last time the Club would win the famous cup. So relive this historic day, as we bring you the full 90 minutes for the very first time on DVD, when Newcastle were the Kings of Wembley.
Sunderland v Leeds 1973 FA Cup Final
Upsets don’t come much bigger than this. After defeating Arsenal in the Centenary Cup final of 1972, and already in the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup, Leeds were now chasing their second Wembley triumph in successive seasons, and the pundits didn’t give Bob Stokoe’s second division Sunderland a prayer.
But Sunderland got their tactics spot on. Tackling defiantly with an unremitting determination, Leeds looked edgy, and the match itself was decided by two crucial moments that would be talked about for years to come.
The first came on 31 minutes, when Ian Porterfield swept home a sweet volley from the edge of the area to open the scoring and send the Sunderland fans into raptures.
And then came the moment that defied belief, as Montgomery produced an unbelievable double save that will go down in goalkeeping folklore as well as F.A. Cup history.
The final whistle promoted delirious celebrations as Bob Stokoe embraced his heroic goalkeeper and Sunderland became only the second Division Two side to win the Cup since West Bromwich Albion emerged victorious in 1931.
Relive this unforgettable match all over again in this specially produced programme, which also features a rare pre-match interview with Bob Stokoe ahead of the kick-off.
These FA Cup titles are and more are available at £9.99 RRP from all good DVD stockists
Newcastle v Manchester City 1955 FA Cup Final
For the third time in five years Newcastle returned to Wembley to seal the FA Cup for a record sixth time in their illustrious history. It was a day full of drama, as Wembley bathed in the May sunshine, and both sets supporters created an atmosphere that was a wonder to behold.
On the eve of the final, Jackie Milburn is quoted as saying that the match will be “like playing a home tie”, and the Newcastle great made no mistake in laying his marker on the game by scoring the fastest FA Cup final goal ever up to that time. It would be a record that he would hold until 1997 when Chelsea’s Roberto Di Matteo scored after only 43-seconds to beat Milburn.
Remarkably to date, it would be the last time the Club would win the famous cup. So relive this historic day, as we bring you the full 90 minutes for the very first time on DVD, when Newcastle were the Kings of Wembley.
Sunderland v Leeds 1973 FA Cup Final
Upsets don’t come much bigger than this. After defeating Arsenal in the Centenary Cup final of 1972, and already in the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup, Leeds were now chasing their second Wembley triumph in successive seasons, and the pundits didn’t give Bob Stokoe’s second division Sunderland a prayer.
But Sunderland got their tactics spot on. Tackling defiantly with an unremitting determination, Leeds looked edgy, and the match itself was decided by two crucial moments that would be talked about for years to come.
The first came on 31 minutes, when Ian Porterfield swept home a sweet volley from the edge of the area to open the scoring and send the Sunderland fans into raptures.
And then came the moment that defied belief, as Montgomery produced an unbelievable double save that will go down in goalkeeping folklore as well as F.A. Cup history.
The final whistle promoted delirious celebrations as Bob Stokoe embraced his heroic goalkeeper and Sunderland became only the second Division Two side to win the Cup since West Bromwich Albion emerged victorious in 1931.
Relive this unforgettable match all over again in this specially produced programme, which also features a rare pre-match interview with Bob Stokoe ahead of the kick-off.
These FA Cup titles are and more are available at £9.99 RRP from all good DVD stockists
Golf : Skilful Six Aim To Recapture Costa Ballena Title
Having been pipped at the post for the past two years, England is sending six members of its talented ‘A’ Squad to Spain at the end of January in a bid to recapture the annual Costa Ballena Quadrangular Tournament title.
The skilful six are; Jonathan Gidney (Church Stretton), Miles Mackman (Broome Manor), Matt Nixon (Ashton-under-Lyne), James Robinson (Southport & Ainsdale), Tom Shadbolt (Mid Herts) and Michael Swan (Stoke-by-Nayland) - and they will take on teams from Finland, Germany, and hosts Spain at Costa Ballena on 28th - 30th January.
Having won the title in 2005 and 2006, the England team have been denied on the final day for the past two years, both times by Spain, after having the title in their grasp. This time they are determined to go one better and will give a first overseas opportunity to Jonathan Gidney, 21(photo courtesy of Tom Ward), from Shropshire & Herefordshire. Gidney has been the Midland Youths Champion for the past three years and also holds the Welsh Youths Championship.
Miles Mackman, 22, from Wiltshire, is the only member of the squad to play in last year’s match. A former winner of the Lagonda Trophy, last year he won the West of England Match Play Championship and the South West Youths Championship.
Matt Nixon, 19, was the British Boys Champion in 2006, the year he also finished runner-up in the Lancashire County and Boys Championships. He finished second again in the Lancashire Championship last year, tied third in the North of England Youths and helped Lancashire win the County Championship.
James Robinson, 20, from Lancashire, was a semi-finalist in the 2007 English Amateur and last year enjoyed a string of high finishes, winning the Formby Hare and Pines Trophy, finishing second in the S&A Bowl and the Scottish Youths and was another member of Lancashire’s victorious County Championship team.
Tom Shadbolt, 20, is a former Hertfordshire County and Boys Champion who finished second in the Lagonda Trophy and fourth in the Lee Westwood Trophy, both in 2007. Last year, he was a member of the Under 21 Squad and this will be his maiden foreign assignment with the English Golf Union (EGU).
Michael Swan, 19, another talent to emerge from the Stoke-by-Nayland club, will also be enjoying his first EGU overseas trip. Fourth in the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters and the Suffolk Championship in 2007, he was also in last year’s Under 21 Squad.
As in previous years, the Costa Ballena competition will be played on a round robin basis, each match comprising three foursomes and six singles.
The skilful six are; Jonathan Gidney (Church Stretton), Miles Mackman (Broome Manor), Matt Nixon (Ashton-under-Lyne), James Robinson (Southport & Ainsdale), Tom Shadbolt (Mid Herts) and Michael Swan (Stoke-by-Nayland) - and they will take on teams from Finland, Germany, and hosts Spain at Costa Ballena on 28th - 30th January.
Having won the title in 2005 and 2006, the England team have been denied on the final day for the past two years, both times by Spain, after having the title in their grasp. This time they are determined to go one better and will give a first overseas opportunity to Jonathan Gidney, 21(photo courtesy of Tom Ward), from Shropshire & Herefordshire. Gidney has been the Midland Youths Champion for the past three years and also holds the Welsh Youths Championship.
Miles Mackman, 22, from Wiltshire, is the only member of the squad to play in last year’s match. A former winner of the Lagonda Trophy, last year he won the West of England Match Play Championship and the South West Youths Championship.
Matt Nixon, 19, was the British Boys Champion in 2006, the year he also finished runner-up in the Lancashire County and Boys Championships. He finished second again in the Lancashire Championship last year, tied third in the North of England Youths and helped Lancashire win the County Championship.
James Robinson, 20, from Lancashire, was a semi-finalist in the 2007 English Amateur and last year enjoyed a string of high finishes, winning the Formby Hare and Pines Trophy, finishing second in the S&A Bowl and the Scottish Youths and was another member of Lancashire’s victorious County Championship team.
Tom Shadbolt, 20, is a former Hertfordshire County and Boys Champion who finished second in the Lagonda Trophy and fourth in the Lee Westwood Trophy, both in 2007. Last year, he was a member of the Under 21 Squad and this will be his maiden foreign assignment with the English Golf Union (EGU).
Michael Swan, 19, another talent to emerge from the Stoke-by-Nayland club, will also be enjoying his first EGU overseas trip. Fourth in the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters and the Suffolk Championship in 2007, he was also in last year’s Under 21 Squad.
As in previous years, the Costa Ballena competition will be played on a round robin basis, each match comprising three foursomes and six singles.
Golf : The Els Club Ranks Among The World’s Best
‘Remarkable Achievement in Opening Year,’ Says Club’s GM
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai Sports City’s The Els Club golf course has won two prestigious international awards.
The Els Club was named the ‘best new international course’ by Links Magazine and selected as a finalist in the "International Courses" category of the 2008 Golf Inc. Development of the Year contest.
This prestigious recognition establishes The Els Club as one of the leading golf courses worldwide.
“The Els Club at Dubai Sports City is a golf development that will stand up proudly against the best in the world for decades to come,” said Ernie Els, its designer and one of the world’s top ten golf professionals.
“The awards put The Els Club in the company of truly great international golf destinations, having already exceeded my own very demanding architectural and operational expectations,” added Els.
The Els Club is championship golf course designed by three-time major winner Ernie Els. The course offers a luxury golfing experience combined with five-star service and notable prestige.
“The awards are a remarkable achievement for The Els Club and a major milestone for the management company, Troon Golf, with the recognition for the superior service standards for members and guests in our successful opening year” said Thomas Rubi, General Manager, Hospitality, Leisure, Golf, Dubai Sports City.
“Since we officially opened a little over six months ago, The Els Club has garnered international acclaim and continues to be a favourite among both local and international golfers of all levels. We look forward to continued successes and hope to receive more golfers wanting to play one of the leading courses in the world,” added Rubi.
World-class golf courses that have recently come online have helped Dubai achieve the prestigious award of Golf Destination of the Year at this year’s International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) that took place in Marbella, Spain.
Dubai recently received the Golf Destination of the year award at this year’s International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) for the Africa, Indian Ocean and Gulf States region.
“The Els Club Dubai is an excellent example of the type of golf project we are proud to recognize in our annual Development of the Year awards," said Chase Peckham, Golf Inc. associate publisher. "The course is well-thought-out and well-executed from beginning to end. It truly achieves the vision of its developers and provides a superb golf experience for its customers."
Golf Inc. magazine is the world's only magazine for golf course developers, owners and management company executives. The magazine caters to the largest operators and the highest-end resorts, golf communities and developers.
A1GP Taupo, New Zealand – A1 Teams Nominated Drivers
The following drivers have signed-on to compete in A1GP Taupo, New Zealand:
A1 Team Driver 1 Driver 2 Driver 3
Australia John Martin Ashley Walsh
Brazil Felipe Guimarães
China Ho Pin Tung Congfu Cheng Adderly Fong
France Loïc Duval Nicolas Prost
Great Britain Dan Clarke James Winslow
Indonesia Satrio Hermanto Zahir Ali
India Narain Karthikeyan Parthiva Sureshwaren
Ireland Adam Carroll Niall Quinn
Italy Edoardo Piscopo
Lebanon Daniel Morad Jimmy Auby
Malaysia Fairuz Fauzy Aaron Lim
Mexico Salvador Duran Juan Pablo Garcia
Monaco Clivio Piccione Hubertus Bahlsen
Netherlands Robert Doornbos Dennis Retera
New Zealand Chris van der Drift
Portugal Filipe Albuquerque Antonio Felix da Costa
South Africa Adrian Zaugg Cristiano Morgado
Switzerland Neel Jani Alexandre Imperatori
USA Marco Andretti John R Hildebrand Jr
A1 Team Driver 1 Driver 2 Driver 3
Australia John Martin Ashley Walsh
Brazil Felipe Guimarães
China Ho Pin Tung Congfu Cheng Adderly Fong
France Loïc Duval Nicolas Prost
Great Britain Dan Clarke James Winslow
Indonesia Satrio Hermanto Zahir Ali
India Narain Karthikeyan Parthiva Sureshwaren
Ireland Adam Carroll Niall Quinn
Italy Edoardo Piscopo
Lebanon Daniel Morad Jimmy Auby
Malaysia Fairuz Fauzy Aaron Lim
Mexico Salvador Duran Juan Pablo Garcia
Monaco Clivio Piccione Hubertus Bahlsen
Netherlands Robert Doornbos Dennis Retera
New Zealand Chris van der Drift
Portugal Filipe Albuquerque Antonio Felix da Costa
South Africa Adrian Zaugg Cristiano Morgado
Switzerland Neel Jani Alexandre Imperatori
USA Marco Andretti John R Hildebrand Jr
Tennis : Marina Erakovic doubles result, Australian Open
Marina Erakovic and her partner Jelena Costanic Tosic of Croatia were defeated in the first round of the women's doubles at the Australian Open today.
Erakovic's opponent from the singles second round, Lucie Safrova of the Czech Republic, with her partner Galina Voskoboeva of Kazahkstan, took the match in straight sets 6-2 6-2.
Safarova and Voskoboeva go on to play Gisela Dulko of Argentina and Roberta Vinci of Italy in the second round.
Erakovic's opponent from the singles second round, Lucie Safrova of the Czech Republic, with her partner Galina Voskoboeva of Kazahkstan, took the match in straight sets 6-2 6-2.
Safarova and Voskoboeva go on to play Gisela Dulko of Argentina and Roberta Vinci of Italy in the second round.
Motorsport : Porsche - More engine capacity and improved aerodynamics
The successful Porsche 911 GT3 RSR takes off into the new model year with extensive modifications. The most powerful race car based on the Porsche 911, which last season secured wins in the American Le Mans Series and at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, competes in the GT2 class at international long distance races. The most distinguishing feature of the new GT3 RSR is the redesigned front with large air outlets on the front hood. Under the light-weight bodyshell, as well, major changes were made to the quickest 911.
Noticeable at first sight are the air outlet slots, or the so-called louvers, on the front hood: an indication of the completely redesigned air ducting of the radiators, which became necessary through the new design of supply and discharge air with the installation of an optional air-conditioning unit. The aerodynamics under the rear underwent further optimisation. The rear wing now features a wider adjustment range. The weight-optimised brake system and the lighter wiring harness contribute to further improved handling, compared to the predecessor model.
The capacity of the well-known six-cylinder boxer engine increased from 3.8 to 4.0-litres. After another reduction in the size of the air restrictors for the 2009 season, the engine now delivers around 450 hp (331 kW) at 7,800 revs per minute and develops a maximum torque of 430 Nm at 7,250 rpm. The rev limiter of the efficient six-cylinder unit kicks in at 9,000 rpm. Compared to the forerunner, the rev level for a given power output was significantly lowered. Thanks to this, the engine features an optimised torque curve and offers better driveability.
In the cockpit, a new multi-function display located above the dashboard indicates the opti-mum moment to change gears. Another new feature is the programmable multi-function, onboard supply system control device, giving teams the choice of many individual functions. One of these is the infinitely adjustable blinking frequency of the lights in the front apron, which helps to immediately recognise race cars when they enter the pits in the dark. For eas-ier servicing under race conditions, other modifications were made. The GT3 RSR now fea-tures a new air-jack system with overpressure valve. The oil refill with fast filling function has now moved to the rear lid, giving mechanics better access.
Aside from GT3 Cup and the GT3 Cup S, the GT3 RSR is the third race car based on the Porsche 911 offered by Porsche Motorsport. About 20 of the successful long distance racers have been built in Weissach and are now being delivered to customer teams around the world. The GT3 RSR costs 380,000 Euro plus VAT specific to each country.
Technical Description Porsche GT3 RSR (2009)
Engine:
Water-cooled, six-cylinder boxer engine; four valves
per cylinder; dry sump lubrication; individual throttle
butterflies; fuel injection; air restrictors 2 x 29.5 mm.
Bore:
102.7 mm
Stroke:
80.4 mm
Capacity:
3,996 cc
Power output:
331 kW (450 bhp) at 7,800 rpm
Max. Torque:
430 Nm at 7,250 rpm
Max. revs:
9,400 rpm
Transmission:
Six-speed gearbox with sequential jaw-type shift;
oil/water heat exchanger; single-mass flywheel;
hydraulic disengagement lever; three-plate carbon-fibre
clutch; rear wheel drive; limited-slip differential 45/65%.
Body:
Monocoque body (basis GT3 RS) of hot-galvanised steel;
aerodynamically optimised front end with front spoiler;
aerodynamically optimised front underfloor; adjustable
rear wing; 90-litre safety fuel tank with fast filling function;
air jack; welded-in safety cage; bucket-type racing seat
(on driver's side only) with flame-resistant seat cover;
six-point seat belt adapted for use of the HANS
Head and Neck Support; electric fire-extinguishing system.
Suspension:
Front:
McPherson spring strut axle; Sachs four-way gas
pressure dampers; double coil springs (main and ancillary
spring); front axle arms adjustable for camber; adjustable
sword-type anti-roll bar on both sides; power steering.
Rear:
Multi-arm axle with rigidly mounted axle sub-frame;
Sachs four-way gas pressure dampers; double coil springs
(main and auxiliary spring); rear axle tie-bar reinforced
and infinitely adjustable; adjustable sword-type anti-roll
bar on both sides.
Complete suspension infinitely adjustable (height,
camber, track).
Brakes:
Brake system with balance bar control.
Front:
Single-piece six-piston aluminium fixed callipers;
inner-vented, 380 mm in diameter; racing brake pads.
Rear: Single-piece four-piston aluminium fixed callipers;
inner-vented, 355 mm in diameter; racing brake pads.
Wheels:
Front:
Three-piece BBS light-alloy wheels (11J x 18-34);
central bolt;
Rear:
Three-piece BBS light-alloy wheels (13J x 18-12.5);
central bolt.
Electrical System:
Motec display with integrated data recording; multi-function
display with integrated gearshift indicator; adjustable
traction control; battery: 12 volt, 50 Ah, 140 Ah alternator.
Weight:
Approx. 1,220 kg complying with A.C.O. regulations,
1,245 kg complying with FIA regulations.
Noticeable at first sight are the air outlet slots, or the so-called louvers, on the front hood: an indication of the completely redesigned air ducting of the radiators, which became necessary through the new design of supply and discharge air with the installation of an optional air-conditioning unit. The aerodynamics under the rear underwent further optimisation. The rear wing now features a wider adjustment range. The weight-optimised brake system and the lighter wiring harness contribute to further improved handling, compared to the predecessor model.
The capacity of the well-known six-cylinder boxer engine increased from 3.8 to 4.0-litres. After another reduction in the size of the air restrictors for the 2009 season, the engine now delivers around 450 hp (331 kW) at 7,800 revs per minute and develops a maximum torque of 430 Nm at 7,250 rpm. The rev limiter of the efficient six-cylinder unit kicks in at 9,000 rpm. Compared to the forerunner, the rev level for a given power output was significantly lowered. Thanks to this, the engine features an optimised torque curve and offers better driveability.
In the cockpit, a new multi-function display located above the dashboard indicates the opti-mum moment to change gears. Another new feature is the programmable multi-function, onboard supply system control device, giving teams the choice of many individual functions. One of these is the infinitely adjustable blinking frequency of the lights in the front apron, which helps to immediately recognise race cars when they enter the pits in the dark. For eas-ier servicing under race conditions, other modifications were made. The GT3 RSR now fea-tures a new air-jack system with overpressure valve. The oil refill with fast filling function has now moved to the rear lid, giving mechanics better access.
Aside from GT3 Cup and the GT3 Cup S, the GT3 RSR is the third race car based on the Porsche 911 offered by Porsche Motorsport. About 20 of the successful long distance racers have been built in Weissach and are now being delivered to customer teams around the world. The GT3 RSR costs 380,000 Euro plus VAT specific to each country.
Technical Description Porsche GT3 RSR (2009)
Engine:
Water-cooled, six-cylinder boxer engine; four valves
per cylinder; dry sump lubrication; individual throttle
butterflies; fuel injection; air restrictors 2 x 29.5 mm.
Bore:
102.7 mm
Stroke:
80.4 mm
Capacity:
3,996 cc
Power output:
331 kW (450 bhp) at 7,800 rpm
Max. Torque:
430 Nm at 7,250 rpm
Max. revs:
9,400 rpm
Transmission:
Six-speed gearbox with sequential jaw-type shift;
oil/water heat exchanger; single-mass flywheel;
hydraulic disengagement lever; three-plate carbon-fibre
clutch; rear wheel drive; limited-slip differential 45/65%.
Body:
Monocoque body (basis GT3 RS) of hot-galvanised steel;
aerodynamically optimised front end with front spoiler;
aerodynamically optimised front underfloor; adjustable
rear wing; 90-litre safety fuel tank with fast filling function;
air jack; welded-in safety cage; bucket-type racing seat
(on driver's side only) with flame-resistant seat cover;
six-point seat belt adapted for use of the HANS
Head and Neck Support; electric fire-extinguishing system.
Suspension:
Front:
McPherson spring strut axle; Sachs four-way gas
pressure dampers; double coil springs (main and ancillary
spring); front axle arms adjustable for camber; adjustable
sword-type anti-roll bar on both sides; power steering.
Rear:
Multi-arm axle with rigidly mounted axle sub-frame;
Sachs four-way gas pressure dampers; double coil springs
(main and auxiliary spring); rear axle tie-bar reinforced
and infinitely adjustable; adjustable sword-type anti-roll
bar on both sides.
Complete suspension infinitely adjustable (height,
camber, track).
Brakes:
Brake system with balance bar control.
Front:
Single-piece six-piston aluminium fixed callipers;
inner-vented, 380 mm in diameter; racing brake pads.
Rear: Single-piece four-piston aluminium fixed callipers;
inner-vented, 355 mm in diameter; racing brake pads.
Wheels:
Front:
Three-piece BBS light-alloy wheels (11J x 18-34);
central bolt;
Rear:
Three-piece BBS light-alloy wheels (13J x 18-12.5);
central bolt.
Electrical System:
Motec display with integrated data recording; multi-function
display with integrated gearshift indicator; adjustable
traction control; battery: 12 volt, 50 Ah, 140 Ah alternator.
Weight:
Approx. 1,220 kg complying with A.C.O. regulations,
1,245 kg complying with FIA regulations.
Tennis : Auckland double gold at Teams Event 16u
Round five matched the unbeaten teams in both the boys and Girls competitions. In the girls competitions top seeds Waikato-Bays took on Auckland. Rosie Bird scored points for Waikato winning 6-2, 6-2 over Monica Chen before Auckland's Alexia Barritt fought out a 3 set epic with Kate Parker eventually winning 2-6, 6-1, 6-3. Imogen Golder (Auck) then beat Dana Gray (6-3, 6-3) and Katarina Hunia also beat Heidi Stewart with relative ease (6-1, 6-4). This meant Auckland went into the doubles 3-1 up. So it was all on in the doubles. Auckland had to win at least one doubles match. Waikato-Bays won the first doubles easily 6-1, 6-0. Thus the tension rose as the last doubles match decided the competition. Auckland eventually prevailed 6-4, 6-2 capping off a great girls competition.
And just when the crowds heartbeat recovered from the girls ‘final’, on came the match of the tournament. Auckland boys verses their Northern neighbours. Northern started the competition 2 points ahead, but fittingly the match was decided on court. Adam Lee (Auck) easily disposed of Chester Espie 6-0, 6-1, a score that gave no indication to what was to come. Matt Alexander (Northern) then fought back from 1 set down to avenge his loss to David Clifford in the individual competitions. Matt eventually won 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. The match was marked with long and intense base line battles and some quite brilliant court coverage. One all.
Next Anton Bettink accounted for Takuma Ohashi in two sets (7-6), 6-2 with Takuma having two set points in the first set. Up stepped the Auckland captain Jamie Eccelton needing to beat the higher ranked Northern number 1 Marco Commuzzo. Jamie played as if his life, and the tie, depended on it. What a consummate performance, beating Marco 6-2, 6-3. Two all.
On to the doubles. Marco and Matt (Northern) took out the first doubles 6-3,0-6,7/6 (10-4) in the super tie. A long and intense match that drew the crowd in for the decider. And what a match the last doubles was. When Auckland’s Adam Lee and David Clifford finally took the third set super tie breaker 10-7 the crowd erupted and the players collapsed. Auckland had won the tournament and the large crowd were rapt with what they had seen.
Final Points Standings
Boys - Auckland 33, Northern 33, Waikato-Bays 25, Central 16, Canterbury 10, Southern 3
Girls – Auckland 37, Waikato-Bays 31, Northern 24, Southern 14, Canterbury 12, Central 2
And just when the crowds heartbeat recovered from the girls ‘final’, on came the match of the tournament. Auckland boys verses their Northern neighbours. Northern started the competition 2 points ahead, but fittingly the match was decided on court. Adam Lee (Auck) easily disposed of Chester Espie 6-0, 6-1, a score that gave no indication to what was to come. Matt Alexander (Northern) then fought back from 1 set down to avenge his loss to David Clifford in the individual competitions. Matt eventually won 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. The match was marked with long and intense base line battles and some quite brilliant court coverage. One all.
Next Anton Bettink accounted for Takuma Ohashi in two sets (7-6), 6-2 with Takuma having two set points in the first set. Up stepped the Auckland captain Jamie Eccelton needing to beat the higher ranked Northern number 1 Marco Commuzzo. Jamie played as if his life, and the tie, depended on it. What a consummate performance, beating Marco 6-2, 6-3. Two all.
On to the doubles. Marco and Matt (Northern) took out the first doubles 6-3,0-6,7/6 (10-4) in the super tie. A long and intense match that drew the crowd in for the decider. And what a match the last doubles was. When Auckland’s Adam Lee and David Clifford finally took the third set super tie breaker 10-7 the crowd erupted and the players collapsed. Auckland had won the tournament and the large crowd were rapt with what they had seen.
Final Points Standings
Boys - Auckland 33, Northern 33, Waikato-Bays 25, Central 16, Canterbury 10, Southern 3
Girls – Auckland 37, Waikato-Bays 31, Northern 24, Southern 14, Canterbury 12, Central 2
Tennis : Gold for Auckland and Canterbury in 12s Teams Event
Auckland Boys and Canterbury Girls have taken the Gold medals and title of Best 12 and Under Teams in the Country at the 2009 National Teams Event.
Auckland Boys continued their dominance by defeating Central in the final round 6-0, meaning the finish the tournament having dropped only one match. Alexander Klintcharov, Auckland No.1, player capped off a huge week for him taking home the National 12s Singles and Doubles titles and Playing in the No.1 spot in the winning team without dropping a set.
In the girls it came down to the wire between Canterbury and Central Girls. Going into doubles Canterbury had to win both doubles against Northern to go one point ahead of Central. With one of the doubles going to 8all in the super-tiebreak the Canterbury supporters were on the edge of their seats, but Jessica Shaw and Chelze Phillips (CANT) showed knowledge of each other games, through playing with each other all week and took the Match 10-8. Which coupled with the other doubles win gave Canterbury the gold medal.
Boys - Final Points
1 Auckland 31
2 Central 27
3 Canterbury 22
4 Southern 17
5 Waikato-Bays 13
6 Northern 2
Girls - Final Points
Canterbury 31
Central 30
Auckland 24
Southern 18
Northern 14
Waikato-Bays 4
Auckland Boys continued their dominance by defeating Central in the final round 6-0, meaning the finish the tournament having dropped only one match. Alexander Klintcharov, Auckland No.1, player capped off a huge week for him taking home the National 12s Singles and Doubles titles and Playing in the No.1 spot in the winning team without dropping a set.
In the girls it came down to the wire between Canterbury and Central Girls. Going into doubles Canterbury had to win both doubles against Northern to go one point ahead of Central. With one of the doubles going to 8all in the super-tiebreak the Canterbury supporters were on the edge of their seats, but Jessica Shaw and Chelze Phillips (CANT) showed knowledge of each other games, through playing with each other all week and took the Match 10-8. Which coupled with the other doubles win gave Canterbury the gold medal.
Boys - Final Points
1 Auckland 31
2 Central 27
3 Canterbury 22
4 Southern 17
5 Waikato-Bays 13
6 Northern 2
Girls - Final Points
Canterbury 31
Central 30
Auckland 24
Southern 18
Northern 14
Waikato-Bays 4
Tennis : Big field for Canterbury Championships NZMT 8
The final January Configure Express NZMT Circuit Tournament - the Canterbury Championships kicked off today at Wilding Park alongside the finals of the National Teams Event and NZ Wheelchair Tournament.
This NZMT has seen record entries with the main draw and qualifying of the men's full and a near full women's draw. International players who are over for the NZ Junior ITF Circuit are playing utilising the NZMT for match play in NZ prior to the ITF kicking off. Some of the juniors came straight off the court from the 16s to attempt to qualify.
The top three seeds Southern's Hector Garcia Aguilar , Auckland's Adam Lee and Northern's Ari Davis all made it through qualifying. Fourth seed Dima Babenkov (Akld) was beaten by Travis Scott (Wkto) before Auckland based Tem Asafu-Adjaye beat Scott in three sets to qualify.
The main draw has been released tonight with the top seeds who are all ATP ranked - Dan King-Turner (Akld), GD Jones(Akld), Marcus Daniell (Wair) and Mark Nielsen (Nrthn) making the men's line up one of the strongest NZMT yet.
In the women's, the two players consistently making the finals - top seed Kairangi Vano (Akld) and fourth seed Dianne Hollands (Akld) have been drawn in the same half of the draw this time around. Second seed Shona Lee and fellow Aucklander fourth seed Imogen Golder are in the bottom half of the draw.
The seeds are feed through to the quarters, which will see them take the court on Saturday afternoon.
Semi-finals are on Sunday at 10am, followed by the finals (approx 2pm).
The NZ Wheelchair tournament runs through to Sunday (finals day) and the Sunsmart Canterbury ITF Junior Tournament kicks off on Sunday with the qualifying, main draw on Monday.
Qualifying Results:
Round 1
16 Tem Asafu-Adjaye d. Matt Brady 6-4;6-3
16 Travis Scott d. (4) Dima Babenkov 7-6;7-6(8)
16 Ji Hoon Heo d. Chester Espie 6-0;6-1
16 (3) Ari Davis d. Alem Tleshov 6-4;6-3
16 Michael Saunders d. William O'Connell 6-2;6-1
16 (2) Adam Lee d. Andrew Falck 6-3;3-0 Ret (quit)
16 Hamish Duff d. Beau Wills 6-4;5-7;6-2
16 (1) Hector Garcia d. Chris Simich 6-1;6-2
Final Round
QF Tem Asafu-Adjaye d. Travis Scott 4-6;6-3;6-2
QF (3) Ari Davis d. Ji Hoon Heo 4-6;6-4;6-0
QF (2) Adam Lee d. Michael Saunders 6-4;6-4
QF (1) Hector Garcia d. Hamish Duff 6-1;4-6;6-3
This NZMT has seen record entries with the main draw and qualifying of the men's full and a near full women's draw. International players who are over for the NZ Junior ITF Circuit are playing utilising the NZMT for match play in NZ prior to the ITF kicking off. Some of the juniors came straight off the court from the 16s to attempt to qualify.
The top three seeds Southern's Hector Garcia Aguilar , Auckland's Adam Lee and Northern's Ari Davis all made it through qualifying. Fourth seed Dima Babenkov (Akld) was beaten by Travis Scott (Wkto) before Auckland based Tem Asafu-Adjaye beat Scott in three sets to qualify.
The main draw has been released tonight with the top seeds who are all ATP ranked - Dan King-Turner (Akld), GD Jones(Akld), Marcus Daniell (Wair) and Mark Nielsen (Nrthn) making the men's line up one of the strongest NZMT yet.
In the women's, the two players consistently making the finals - top seed Kairangi Vano (Akld) and fourth seed Dianne Hollands (Akld) have been drawn in the same half of the draw this time around. Second seed Shona Lee and fellow Aucklander fourth seed Imogen Golder are in the bottom half of the draw.
The seeds are feed through to the quarters, which will see them take the court on Saturday afternoon.
Semi-finals are on Sunday at 10am, followed by the finals (approx 2pm).
The NZ Wheelchair tournament runs through to Sunday (finals day) and the Sunsmart Canterbury ITF Junior Tournament kicks off on Sunday with the qualifying, main draw on Monday.
Qualifying Results:
Round 1
16 Tem Asafu-Adjaye d. Matt Brady 6-4;6-3
16 Travis Scott d. (4) Dima Babenkov 7-6;7-6(8)
16 Ji Hoon Heo d. Chester Espie 6-0;6-1
16 (3) Ari Davis d. Alem Tleshov 6-4;6-3
16 Michael Saunders d. William O'Connell 6-2;6-1
16 (2) Adam Lee d. Andrew Falck 6-3;3-0 Ret (quit)
16 Hamish Duff d. Beau Wills 6-4;5-7;6-2
16 (1) Hector Garcia d. Chris Simich 6-1;6-2
Final Round
QF Tem Asafu-Adjaye d. Travis Scott 4-6;6-3;6-2
QF (3) Ari Davis d. Ji Hoon Heo 4-6;6-4;6-0
QF (2) Adam Lee d. Michael Saunders 6-4;6-4
QF (1) Hector Garcia d. Hamish Duff 6-1;4-6;6-3
Sailing : PUMA lead as Volvo Ocean Race fleet prepares for bad weather
January 22, 2009 – The PUMA team, led by Skipper Ken Read (USA) are currently leading Leg Four of the epic round-the-world race from Singapore to Qingdao, China. Four days into what has been described by the sailors as ‘likely to be the toughest leg in the history of the race’, the seven boat fleet are preparing themselves for extremely bad weather in the Straits of Luzon this Friday and Saturday, where winds of up to 50 knots and very lumpy seas are expected.
As long-range forecasts for this leg have predicted heavy weather sailing conditions for some time, the Race Committee chose to add an extra ‘weather waypoint’ to this leg, to keep PUMA and her competitors to the eastern side of the South China Sea. Forcing the boats to pass close to the Philippines was deemed to be the safest course of action, and it is likely that the teams will choose to hug the coastline of Luzon, which will give the boats shelter from the expected strong northerly winds.
In addition to the difficult sailing conditions the fleet will encounter, navigation in this region of Asia is notoriously difficult. There are vast areas of uncharted coral reefs, rocks and hundreds of tiny atolls to negotiate, and the charts used by PUMA navigator Andrew Cape (AUS) are far from accurate.
PUMA Ocean Racing skipper Ken Read (USA) commented: “Approaching the North Lucoma Shoals the water depth goes from 1000 meters to three meters. We had three charts of these shoals and one said we could go through the middle, one said maybe and one said no way. We chose the no way. And the ‘good’ news is there are about a thousand of these shoals all over the South China Sea. The accuracy of the charts is absolutely in question and supposedly there are a lot of reefs that are unmarked out here. As if there wasn't enough on this leg to make my stomach turn...we have many challenges ahead.”
The next few days will be physically as well as mentally exhausting for the crew of PUMA’s il mostro. The team will not only face harsh sailing conditions but have tough tactical decisions to make to ensure they stay ahead of the fleet.
The Volvo Ocean Race is made up of ten legs, finishing in June 2009 in St. Petersburg, Russia. By joining the race, PUMA has entered a new premium category and is the only Sportslifestyle company to participate in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. For more information about the race, team and the PUMA Sailing collections, please visit www.pumaoceanracing.com
As long-range forecasts for this leg have predicted heavy weather sailing conditions for some time, the Race Committee chose to add an extra ‘weather waypoint’ to this leg, to keep PUMA and her competitors to the eastern side of the South China Sea. Forcing the boats to pass close to the Philippines was deemed to be the safest course of action, and it is likely that the teams will choose to hug the coastline of Luzon, which will give the boats shelter from the expected strong northerly winds.
In addition to the difficult sailing conditions the fleet will encounter, navigation in this region of Asia is notoriously difficult. There are vast areas of uncharted coral reefs, rocks and hundreds of tiny atolls to negotiate, and the charts used by PUMA navigator Andrew Cape (AUS) are far from accurate.
PUMA Ocean Racing skipper Ken Read (USA) commented: “Approaching the North Lucoma Shoals the water depth goes from 1000 meters to three meters. We had three charts of these shoals and one said we could go through the middle, one said maybe and one said no way. We chose the no way. And the ‘good’ news is there are about a thousand of these shoals all over the South China Sea. The accuracy of the charts is absolutely in question and supposedly there are a lot of reefs that are unmarked out here. As if there wasn't enough on this leg to make my stomach turn...we have many challenges ahead.”
The next few days will be physically as well as mentally exhausting for the crew of PUMA’s il mostro. The team will not only face harsh sailing conditions but have tough tactical decisions to make to ensure they stay ahead of the fleet.
The Volvo Ocean Race is made up of ten legs, finishing in June 2009 in St. Petersburg, Russia. By joining the race, PUMA has entered a new premium category and is the only Sportslifestyle company to participate in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. For more information about the race, team and the PUMA Sailing collections, please visit www.pumaoceanracing.com
Cricket : Unbeaten ton for Wellington as Otago, Auckland and Canterbury win at Provincial A tournament
An unbeaten 110 by Wellington opener Josh Brodie who batted through the innings against Canterbury, was a highlight of a hot second day of competition in the Provincial A cricket tournament at Lincoln today [Thursday 22 January].
Brodie’s innings was not enough to see Wellington to victory, however, with Canterbury winning by six wickets. Auckland had a close eight-run win over Central Districts to extend their lead at the top of the points table, while Otago took a bonus points in defeating Northern Districts by six wickets.
Auckland A v Central Districts A
Auckland won the toss and chose to bat, with openers Jeet Raval and Mark Turner putting on 87 for the first wicket before Raval was dismissed for 37. Turner went on to top score with 82 off 97 balls. Dusan Hakaraia with 33 and Andrew De Border with 50 continued to set a great platform for Auckland, but from 225/5 they collapsed and at the end of 50 overs had reached 283/9. Spinners Greg Hay and Tim Lythe did the damage with four and three wickets respectively.
With CD 200/9 chasing 284 to win Auckland was in the box seat but a last wicket partnership of 75 balls in 34 balls between Liam Rukuwai and Jeremy Kuru created a tight finish. Rukuwai was run out off the last ball of the 48th over to give Auckland an exciting win. For CD James de Terte scored 59 and number 10 Jeremy Kuru hit 51 not out off 21 balls. Lance Shaw took 4/76 off his 10 overs for Auckland.
• Auckland 283/9 (Mark Turner 82, Andrew De Boorder 50, Greg Hay 4/44, Tim Lythe 3/48) beat Central Districts 275 (James de Terte 59, Jeremy Kuru 51*, Lance Shaw 4/76) by 8 runs
Wellington A v Canterbury A
Wellington won the toss and batted - opener Josh Brodie top scoring with 110 not out off 145 balls. There was then a series of partnerships that took Wellington to 265/6 at the end of 50 overs. For Canterbury Hamish Bennett took three wickets and Leighton Burtt, Marty Kain and Sam Noster one each.
Canterbury paced their run chase well. Opener Todd Astle scored 85 off 135 balls and together with Corey Anderson, who made 51, they put on 110 for the second wicket. Darren Broom was not out 70 out off 50 balls and they achieved the win in 48.2 overs for the loss of four wickets. Dewayne Bowden took 2/54 off 10 overs for Wellington.
• Wellington 265/6 (Josh Brodie 110*, Hamish Bennett 3/56) lost to Canterbury 267/4 (Todd Astle 85, Corey Anderson 51, Dareen Broom 70*) by six wickets
Northern Districts A v Otago A
ND won the toss and batted first in their match against Otago and lost opener Cameron Merchant to the first ball of the match. They struggled to recover and were bowled out for 198 in the 48th over. Captain Brad Wilson top scored with 46 and Keir Bettley, batting at number nine, scored 43. Matt Harvie took 2/21 and Anthony Bullick 2/23 and left arm spinner 3/34 off his 10 overs.
Otago lost Hamish Rutherford to the first ball of the second over but a series of solid partnerships enabled them to reach the target in 39.3 overs to get the bonus point. Captain Jordan Sheed made 52 off 63 balls including nine 4s, Sean Eathorne made 49 off 78 balls and Sam Wells was unbeaten on 42 off 47 balls when the winning runs were scored.
• Northern Districts 198 (Brad Wilson 46, Keir Bettley 43, Nick Beard 3/34) lost to Otago 202/4 (Jordan Sheed 52, Sean Eathorne 49, Sam Wells 42*) by 6 wickets
Points at the end of Round 2
Auckland 8
Otago 5
Northern Districts 4
Canterbury 4
Wellington 4
Central Districts 0
Brodie’s innings was not enough to see Wellington to victory, however, with Canterbury winning by six wickets. Auckland had a close eight-run win over Central Districts to extend their lead at the top of the points table, while Otago took a bonus points in defeating Northern Districts by six wickets.
Auckland A v Central Districts A
Auckland won the toss and chose to bat, with openers Jeet Raval and Mark Turner putting on 87 for the first wicket before Raval was dismissed for 37. Turner went on to top score with 82 off 97 balls. Dusan Hakaraia with 33 and Andrew De Border with 50 continued to set a great platform for Auckland, but from 225/5 they collapsed and at the end of 50 overs had reached 283/9. Spinners Greg Hay and Tim Lythe did the damage with four and three wickets respectively.
With CD 200/9 chasing 284 to win Auckland was in the box seat but a last wicket partnership of 75 balls in 34 balls between Liam Rukuwai and Jeremy Kuru created a tight finish. Rukuwai was run out off the last ball of the 48th over to give Auckland an exciting win. For CD James de Terte scored 59 and number 10 Jeremy Kuru hit 51 not out off 21 balls. Lance Shaw took 4/76 off his 10 overs for Auckland.
• Auckland 283/9 (Mark Turner 82, Andrew De Boorder 50, Greg Hay 4/44, Tim Lythe 3/48) beat Central Districts 275 (James de Terte 59, Jeremy Kuru 51*, Lance Shaw 4/76) by 8 runs
Wellington A v Canterbury A
Wellington won the toss and batted - opener Josh Brodie top scoring with 110 not out off 145 balls. There was then a series of partnerships that took Wellington to 265/6 at the end of 50 overs. For Canterbury Hamish Bennett took three wickets and Leighton Burtt, Marty Kain and Sam Noster one each.
Canterbury paced their run chase well. Opener Todd Astle scored 85 off 135 balls and together with Corey Anderson, who made 51, they put on 110 for the second wicket. Darren Broom was not out 70 out off 50 balls and they achieved the win in 48.2 overs for the loss of four wickets. Dewayne Bowden took 2/54 off 10 overs for Wellington.
• Wellington 265/6 (Josh Brodie 110*, Hamish Bennett 3/56) lost to Canterbury 267/4 (Todd Astle 85, Corey Anderson 51, Dareen Broom 70*) by six wickets
Northern Districts A v Otago A
ND won the toss and batted first in their match against Otago and lost opener Cameron Merchant to the first ball of the match. They struggled to recover and were bowled out for 198 in the 48th over. Captain Brad Wilson top scored with 46 and Keir Bettley, batting at number nine, scored 43. Matt Harvie took 2/21 and Anthony Bullick 2/23 and left arm spinner 3/34 off his 10 overs.
Otago lost Hamish Rutherford to the first ball of the second over but a series of solid partnerships enabled them to reach the target in 39.3 overs to get the bonus point. Captain Jordan Sheed made 52 off 63 balls including nine 4s, Sean Eathorne made 49 off 78 balls and Sam Wells was unbeaten on 42 off 47 balls when the winning runs were scored.
• Northern Districts 198 (Brad Wilson 46, Keir Bettley 43, Nick Beard 3/34) lost to Otago 202/4 (Jordan Sheed 52, Sean Eathorne 49, Sam Wells 42*) by 6 wickets
Points at the end of Round 2
Auckland 8
Otago 5
Northern Districts 4
Canterbury 4
Wellington 4
Central Districts 0
Rugby : New Zealand Sevens squad for 2009 named
New Zealand Sevens Coach Gordon Tietjens today named his 17-man national squad for 2009.
Tietjens named an experienced line-up with Waikato’s Save Tokula the only new member of the squad. North Harbour’s Viliame Waqaseduadua and Wellington’s Tu Umaga Marshall both make a return to the team, Waqaseduadua having last played in Singapore in 2005 and Marshall in Hong Kong in 2006.
“The training camp was very competitive and all the boys challenged for positions. We have a lot of exciting young players coming through which looks very healthy for New Zealand rugby,” Tietjens said.
The squad will be captained by 2008 IRB and New Zealand Sevens Player of the Year DJ Forbes.
The squad of 17 will be narrowed down to a playing 12 for the NZI Sevens in Wellington on Waitangi weekend.
“Wellington is always a huge tournament for the fans and the team really enjoy playing at home. We are currently second on the World Series table and need to win in Wellington to claw back a few points from South Africa who are currently leading the series.”
The squad for the Rugby World Cup Sevens, which will be held in Dubai from March 5-7, will be selected separately and named towards the end of February.
2009 New Zealand Sevens squad: Tomasi Cama (Manawatu), Edwin Cocker (Auckland), DJ Forbes (Captain, Counties Manukau), Paul Grant (Otago), Nigel Hunt (Wellington), Solomon King (Bay of Plenty), Zar Lawrence (Bay of Plenty), Tim Nanai Williams (Counties Manukau), Tim Mikkelson (Waikato), Lote Raikabula (Manawatu), Willie Rickards (Southland), Julian Savea (Wellington), Save Tokula (Waikato), Chad Tuhoro (Counties Manukau), Nafi Tuitavake (North Harbour), Tu Umaga Marshall (Wellington), Viliame Waqaseduadua (North Harbour).
Tietjens named an experienced line-up with Waikato’s Save Tokula the only new member of the squad. North Harbour’s Viliame Waqaseduadua and Wellington’s Tu Umaga Marshall both make a return to the team, Waqaseduadua having last played in Singapore in 2005 and Marshall in Hong Kong in 2006.
“The training camp was very competitive and all the boys challenged for positions. We have a lot of exciting young players coming through which looks very healthy for New Zealand rugby,” Tietjens said.
The squad will be captained by 2008 IRB and New Zealand Sevens Player of the Year DJ Forbes.
The squad of 17 will be narrowed down to a playing 12 for the NZI Sevens in Wellington on Waitangi weekend.
“Wellington is always a huge tournament for the fans and the team really enjoy playing at home. We are currently second on the World Series table and need to win in Wellington to claw back a few points from South Africa who are currently leading the series.”
The squad for the Rugby World Cup Sevens, which will be held in Dubai from March 5-7, will be selected separately and named towards the end of February.
2009 New Zealand Sevens squad: Tomasi Cama (Manawatu), Edwin Cocker (Auckland), DJ Forbes (Captain, Counties Manukau), Paul Grant (Otago), Nigel Hunt (Wellington), Solomon King (Bay of Plenty), Zar Lawrence (Bay of Plenty), Tim Nanai Williams (Counties Manukau), Tim Mikkelson (Waikato), Lote Raikabula (Manawatu), Willie Rickards (Southland), Julian Savea (Wellington), Save Tokula (Waikato), Chad Tuhoro (Counties Manukau), Nafi Tuitavake (North Harbour), Tu Umaga Marshall (Wellington), Viliame Waqaseduadua (North Harbour).
Cricket : Thompson closes gap on MVP leader Napier
State Central Stags spearhead and recent BLACKCAPS recruit Ewen Thompson is closing in on State MVP leader Graham Napier after taking three wickets and blasting 40 for the Stags against Otago in yesterday's State Shield action. Napier remains at the top of the State MVP rankings despite the Wellington Firebirds losing their last three State Shield matches. A solid performance in the last game against Canterbury saw Napier pick up two wickets and 20 runs.
Otago Volt pace bowler Neil Wagner returned to the top five after ripping through the Central line up to finish with four for 39 to set up victory for the Southerners. The win confirms a spot in the semi's for the Volts. New BLACKCAP Trent Boult has broken into the top ten for the first time on the back of consistent bowling
performances and a string of victories for competition leaders the State Northern Knights. The red hot Knights are guaranteed a home final for the State Shield with the State Canterbury Wizards and State Central Stags vying for the final semi final spot.
MVP Top Five at a glance
1 G Napier (WGN) 221.39 points
2 E Thompson (CD) 193.04
3 M Sinclair (CD) 186.26
4 N Wagner (OTG) 172.51
5 L Woodcock (WGN) 168.83
State Shield Top Five
1 G Napier (WGN) 130.34
2 N Wagner (OTG) 97.91
3 B Watling (ND) 96.11
4 L Woodcock (WGN) 94.14
5 S Bond (CTY) 89.51
Otago Volt pace bowler Neil Wagner returned to the top five after ripping through the Central line up to finish with four for 39 to set up victory for the Southerners. The win confirms a spot in the semi's for the Volts. New BLACKCAP Trent Boult has broken into the top ten for the first time on the back of consistent bowling
performances and a string of victories for competition leaders the State Northern Knights. The red hot Knights are guaranteed a home final for the State Shield with the State Canterbury Wizards and State Central Stags vying for the final semi final spot.
MVP Top Five at a glance
1 G Napier (WGN) 221.39 points
2 E Thompson (CD) 193.04
3 M Sinclair (CD) 186.26
4 N Wagner (OTG) 172.51
5 L Woodcock (WGN) 168.83
State Shield Top Five
1 G Napier (WGN) 130.34
2 N Wagner (OTG) 97.91
3 B Watling (ND) 96.11
4 L Woodcock (WGN) 94.14
5 S Bond (CTY) 89.51
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Rugby League's 2009 Community Carnival
Flooding in communities around the Gulf of Carpentaria will not stop the biggest One Community Carnival in history from bringing some much-needed joy to Rugby League fans in far north Queensland.
Sydney Roosters forward Willie Mason and Gold Coast Titans back-rower Mark Minichiello will be among the stars visiting communities in the Gulf, an area in which many families are currently isolated and requiring food drops due to flooding that has cut roads.
Special charter flights have been arranged to ensure the players can get to communities across the region.
“Hopefully we can put a few smiles on some faces up there,” Mason said today.
“The Community Carnival is always a fun time of the year for the boys and it means a lot to the fans in the areas we get to visit.”
The One Community Carnival runs from February 4-6 with Scott Prince, Andrew Ryan, Jarrod Mullen, Craig Fitzgibbon, Sam Thaiday and Chris Sandow among the NRL stars who will visit more than 50 communities across two countries and three states and territories, stretching from Darwin to the Southern Highlands.
NRL Chief Executive, Mr David Gallop, will join players in Harden, ARL Chief Executive, Mr Geoff Carr, will join players in Casino, Kyogle and Woodenbong while CRL Chief Executive, Mr Terry Quinn, will join players in the far west of NSW at Cobar, Nyngan and Bourke.
Storm and Warriors players will also hold activities in Geelong and Auckland respectively in the coming weeks.
The 2009 Community Carnival follows on from the success of last year’s Harvey Norman Regional Celebrations, the biggest ever celebration of the game in the bush.
The Community Carnival will feature players in the following areas:
Burnett:
Josh Morris (Bulldogs)
Michael Hodgson (Bulldogs)
Andrew Suniula (Sea Eagles)
Junior Palau (Sea Eagles)
John Sutton (Rabbitohs)
Chris Sandow (Rabbitohs)
Cape York:
Sam Thaiday (Broncos)
Palmer Wapau (Broncos)
Ben Hannant (Bulldogs)
Jamal Idris (Bulldogs)
Antonio Kaufusi (Cowboys)
Ashley Graham (Cowboys)
Dan Hunt (Dragons)
Nick Emmett (Dragons)
Casino, Kyogle, Woodenbong:
Tim Browne (Sea Eagles)
Michael Bani (Sea Eagles)
Danny Wicks (Knights)
Cory Paterson (Knights)
Luke Stuart (Rabbitohs)
Colin Best (Rabbitohs)
Mario Fenech (NRL)
Cobar, Nyngan, Bourke:
Andrew Ryan (Bulldogs)
Gary Warburton (Bulldogs)
Joe Picker (Raiders)
Scott Logan (Raiders)
Luke Bailey (Titans)
Will Zillman (Titans)
Darwin:
Ben Ross (Sharks)
Luke Covell (Sharks)
Blake Green (Sharks)
Scott Prince (Titans)
Jordan Atkins (Titans)
Luke O’Dwyer (Titans)
Gladstone:
PJ Marsh (Broncos)
Nick Kenny (Broncos)
Ben Smith (Eels)
Matt Keating (Eels)
Rhys Wesser (Rabbitohs)
Shannon McPherson (Rabbitohs)
Nigel Vagana (NRL)
Gulf of Carpentaria and Mid West region:
Aaron Payne (Cowboys)
Scott Bolton (Cowboys)
Brenton Bowen (Titans)
Mark Minichiello (Titans)
Taniela Tuiaki (Wests Tigers)
Beau Ryan (Wests Tigers)
Willie Mason (Roosters)
Matt Hall (Roosters)
Harden, Grenfell, Boorowa:
Josh Cordoba (Eels)
Kevin Kingston (Eels)
Alan Tongue (Raiders)
Justin Carney (Raiders)
Brett Morris (Dragons)
Ricky Thorby (Dragons)
Merriwa, Coolah, Binnaway:
Steve Simpson (Knights)
Chris Houston (Knights)
Tim Grant (Panthers)
Keith Peters (Panthers)
Craig Fitzgibbon (Roosters)
Ryan Williamson (Roosters)
Narrabri, Wee Waa, Boggabri:
Jake Lingard (Sea Eagles)
Vic Mauro (Sea Eagles)
Chris Heighington (Wests Tigers)
Chris Lawrence (Wests Tigers)
Brad Tighe (Panthers)
Geoff Daniela (Panthers)
Southern Highlands:
Kris Keating (Eels)
Todd Lowrie (Eels)
Ben Creagh (Dragons)
Mickey Paea (Dragons)
Troy Thompson (Raiders)
Josh Miller (Raiders)
Taree, Forster, Gloucester:
Mark O’Meley (Roosters)
Javarn White (Roosters)
John Morris (Wests Tigers)
Liam Fulton (Wests Tigers)
Jarrod Mullen (Knights)
Scott Dureau (Knights)
Warwick:
Peter Wallace (Broncos)
Andrew McCullough (Broncos)
Donald Malone (Cowboys)
Shane Tronc (Cowboys)
Paul Aiton (Panthers)
Adam Woolnough (Panthers)
Sydney Roosters forward Willie Mason and Gold Coast Titans back-rower Mark Minichiello will be among the stars visiting communities in the Gulf, an area in which many families are currently isolated and requiring food drops due to flooding that has cut roads.
Special charter flights have been arranged to ensure the players can get to communities across the region.
“Hopefully we can put a few smiles on some faces up there,” Mason said today.
“The Community Carnival is always a fun time of the year for the boys and it means a lot to the fans in the areas we get to visit.”
The One Community Carnival runs from February 4-6 with Scott Prince, Andrew Ryan, Jarrod Mullen, Craig Fitzgibbon, Sam Thaiday and Chris Sandow among the NRL stars who will visit more than 50 communities across two countries and three states and territories, stretching from Darwin to the Southern Highlands.
NRL Chief Executive, Mr David Gallop, will join players in Harden, ARL Chief Executive, Mr Geoff Carr, will join players in Casino, Kyogle and Woodenbong while CRL Chief Executive, Mr Terry Quinn, will join players in the far west of NSW at Cobar, Nyngan and Bourke.
Storm and Warriors players will also hold activities in Geelong and Auckland respectively in the coming weeks.
The 2009 Community Carnival follows on from the success of last year’s Harvey Norman Regional Celebrations, the biggest ever celebration of the game in the bush.
The Community Carnival will feature players in the following areas:
Burnett:
Josh Morris (Bulldogs)
Michael Hodgson (Bulldogs)
Andrew Suniula (Sea Eagles)
Junior Palau (Sea Eagles)
John Sutton (Rabbitohs)
Chris Sandow (Rabbitohs)
Cape York:
Sam Thaiday (Broncos)
Palmer Wapau (Broncos)
Ben Hannant (Bulldogs)
Jamal Idris (Bulldogs)
Antonio Kaufusi (Cowboys)
Ashley Graham (Cowboys)
Dan Hunt (Dragons)
Nick Emmett (Dragons)
Casino, Kyogle, Woodenbong:
Tim Browne (Sea Eagles)
Michael Bani (Sea Eagles)
Danny Wicks (Knights)
Cory Paterson (Knights)
Luke Stuart (Rabbitohs)
Colin Best (Rabbitohs)
Mario Fenech (NRL)
Cobar, Nyngan, Bourke:
Andrew Ryan (Bulldogs)
Gary Warburton (Bulldogs)
Joe Picker (Raiders)
Scott Logan (Raiders)
Luke Bailey (Titans)
Will Zillman (Titans)
Darwin:
Ben Ross (Sharks)
Luke Covell (Sharks)
Blake Green (Sharks)
Scott Prince (Titans)
Jordan Atkins (Titans)
Luke O’Dwyer (Titans)
Gladstone:
PJ Marsh (Broncos)
Nick Kenny (Broncos)
Ben Smith (Eels)
Matt Keating (Eels)
Rhys Wesser (Rabbitohs)
Shannon McPherson (Rabbitohs)
Nigel Vagana (NRL)
Gulf of Carpentaria and Mid West region:
Aaron Payne (Cowboys)
Scott Bolton (Cowboys)
Brenton Bowen (Titans)
Mark Minichiello (Titans)
Taniela Tuiaki (Wests Tigers)
Beau Ryan (Wests Tigers)
Willie Mason (Roosters)
Matt Hall (Roosters)
Harden, Grenfell, Boorowa:
Josh Cordoba (Eels)
Kevin Kingston (Eels)
Alan Tongue (Raiders)
Justin Carney (Raiders)
Brett Morris (Dragons)
Ricky Thorby (Dragons)
Merriwa, Coolah, Binnaway:
Steve Simpson (Knights)
Chris Houston (Knights)
Tim Grant (Panthers)
Keith Peters (Panthers)
Craig Fitzgibbon (Roosters)
Ryan Williamson (Roosters)
Narrabri, Wee Waa, Boggabri:
Jake Lingard (Sea Eagles)
Vic Mauro (Sea Eagles)
Chris Heighington (Wests Tigers)
Chris Lawrence (Wests Tigers)
Brad Tighe (Panthers)
Geoff Daniela (Panthers)
Southern Highlands:
Kris Keating (Eels)
Todd Lowrie (Eels)
Ben Creagh (Dragons)
Mickey Paea (Dragons)
Troy Thompson (Raiders)
Josh Miller (Raiders)
Taree, Forster, Gloucester:
Mark O’Meley (Roosters)
Javarn White (Roosters)
John Morris (Wests Tigers)
Liam Fulton (Wests Tigers)
Jarrod Mullen (Knights)
Scott Dureau (Knights)
Warwick:
Peter Wallace (Broncos)
Andrew McCullough (Broncos)
Donald Malone (Cowboys)
Shane Tronc (Cowboys)
Paul Aiton (Panthers)
Adam Woolnough (Panthers)
Cricket : McCullum released to play Twenty20 for NSW
Otago Cricket and New Zealand Cricket have agreed to Brendon McCullum being released this weekend to play for the NSW RTA Speedblitz Blues in the final of the KFC TWENTY20 BIG BASH FINAL – the Australian domestic Twenty20 competition.
NSW have already qualified for the Champions League to be held in India in October and so McCullum’s presence on Saturday will allow him to participate in the Champions League even if his IPL team, the Kolkata Knight Riders, fail to qualify.
Otago Cricket CEO, Ross Dykes, said the move was a positive one for McCullm and for Otago and NZC – it a sensible decision on cricketing grounds. “First, the Blackcaps will not be available for the semi-final or final of the State Shield next week,” said Dykes. “By releasing Brendon we actually allow room for a replacement batsman to settle into the Otago Volts batting line-up – a line-up that will have to be without both McCullum and Neil Broom if they are to defend the State Shield title through a semi final and a final.
“Secondly, we recognize the impetus that Brendon has given Otago Cricket since his return over one year ago and are conscious of his reputation as a dominant force on the world stage of limited overs cricket.
“The chance to further enhance his reputation can only bring further good to the profile of our game locally and, not unrealistically, bring financial benefits as well.
Dykes said Otago cricket was aware that fans in Invercargill would be disappointed, “but I am completely satisfied that the decision best serves the good of the game in the South both in the short and medium term.”
Mike Hesson and Craig Cumming (coach and captain of the Otago Volts) were involved in the decision, Dykes said. “Both agree that the winning of the State Shield is their sole priority and this can only be enhanced by ensuring our batting cover gets maximum opportunity to prepare.”
NZC CEO, Justin Vaughan, supported the Otago decision. “There is much potential upside with Brendon having a guaranteed spot in the Champions League,” Vaughan said. “I support Otago’s view that they should make all sensible preparations to win through the semi and final of the State Shield without both Brendon and Neil Broom.”
NSW have already qualified for the Champions League to be held in India in October and so McCullum’s presence on Saturday will allow him to participate in the Champions League even if his IPL team, the Kolkata Knight Riders, fail to qualify.
Otago Cricket CEO, Ross Dykes, said the move was a positive one for McCullm and for Otago and NZC – it a sensible decision on cricketing grounds. “First, the Blackcaps will not be available for the semi-final or final of the State Shield next week,” said Dykes. “By releasing Brendon we actually allow room for a replacement batsman to settle into the Otago Volts batting line-up – a line-up that will have to be without both McCullum and Neil Broom if they are to defend the State Shield title through a semi final and a final.
“Secondly, we recognize the impetus that Brendon has given Otago Cricket since his return over one year ago and are conscious of his reputation as a dominant force on the world stage of limited overs cricket.
“The chance to further enhance his reputation can only bring further good to the profile of our game locally and, not unrealistically, bring financial benefits as well.
Dykes said Otago cricket was aware that fans in Invercargill would be disappointed, “but I am completely satisfied that the decision best serves the good of the game in the South both in the short and medium term.”
Mike Hesson and Craig Cumming (coach and captain of the Otago Volts) were involved in the decision, Dykes said. “Both agree that the winning of the State Shield is their sole priority and this can only be enhanced by ensuring our batting cover gets maximum opportunity to prepare.”
NZC CEO, Justin Vaughan, supported the Otago decision. “There is much potential upside with Brendon having a guaranteed spot in the Champions League,” Vaughan said. “I support Otago’s view that they should make all sensible preparations to win through the semi and final of the State Shield without both Brendon and Neil Broom.”
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